[Published: February 9, 2023]
"What we’re trying to do here is to work with them to boost that, not inject something that’s not there … the researchers don’t have to go in and solve their problem. That’s not how it works."
The Loki’s Loop research team has collaborated with members of the BTS ARMY fandom to create Galaxy, a new game set to be released in early 2023. Galaxy is a virtual escape room that helps players understand how misinformation works and reflect on how they process information on social media.
Jin Ha Lee, a University of Washington iSchool professor, is an ARMY herself. Galaxy was co-designed with other ARMYs to cater specifically to the situations that fans are likely to encounter.
Lee believes that to do the research to create a game like this, it’s critical to work closely with the community. The co-design process helps ensure that the game is relevant, realistic and effective.
“When we tested it with some ARMYs at the BTS conference, they were playing it and there were a lot of positive comments like, ‘This is so good, it’s so realistic,’ or ‘I see something like this all the time on Twitter’,” Lee said, “and the reason why we get that is because we have created it with the community members.”
To create Galaxy, Lee and the research team connected with other researchers and librarians who were also BTS fans. Rachel Stevenson, a public librarian at Palisades Park Public Library in New Jersey, responded to Lee’s call for participants on Twitter. As a participant, she added her perspective as a fan first, but also as someone who combats misinformation as part of her job. She said turning that work into a game can make it really effective.
“I am involved in a field that really cares for misinformation, but if someone sends me an article about just like the study of misinformation, I’m not going to read that,” she said. “But if you turn something into a game, it’s really fun.”
Another participant, Arpita Bhattacharya, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California Irvine, agrees that the authenticity of the game is vital.
“I think it’s super important because you have to be kind of embedded in the fandom itself to understand what are the challenges we face day to day, and to understand how we can navigate those terms,” she said.
This co-design process can be extended to other communities, to create a version of the game for them. Researchers are looking to work with Black activists and they’ve also partnered with iSchool Associate Professor Jason Yip to co-design games with children. Other groups have also expressed interest.
Lee emphasizes that the co-design process is all about empowering communities.
“It’s not that these people are helplessly being affected by misinformation,” Lee said. “There is, within the community, movement to also address it. And what we’re trying to do here is to work with them to boost that, not inject something that’s not there. … The researchers don’t have to go in and solve their problem. That’s not how it works.”
Jin Ha Lee, a University of Washington iSchool professor, is an ARMY herself. Galaxy was co-designed with other ARMYs to cater specifically to the situations that fans are likely to encounter.
Lee believes that to do the research to create a game like this, it’s critical to work closely with the community. The co-design process helps ensure that the game is relevant, realistic and effective.
“When we tested it with some ARMYs at the BTS conference, they were playing it and there were a lot of positive comments like, ‘This is so good, it’s so realistic,’ or ‘I see something like this all the time on Twitter’,” Lee said, “and the reason why we get that is because we have created it with the community members.”
To create Galaxy, Lee and the research team connected with other researchers and librarians who were also BTS fans. Rachel Stevenson, a public librarian at Palisades Park Public Library in New Jersey, responded to Lee’s call for participants on Twitter. As a participant, she added her perspective as a fan first, but also as someone who combats misinformation as part of her job. She said turning that work into a game can make it really effective.
“I am involved in a field that really cares for misinformation, but if someone sends me an article about just like the study of misinformation, I’m not going to read that,” she said. “But if you turn something into a game, it’s really fun.”
Another participant, Arpita Bhattacharya, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California Irvine, agrees that the authenticity of the game is vital.
“I think it’s super important because you have to be kind of embedded in the fandom itself to understand what are the challenges we face day to day, and to understand how we can navigate those terms,” she said.
This co-design process can be extended to other communities, to create a version of the game for them. Researchers are looking to work with Black activists and they’ve also partnered with iSchool Associate Professor Jason Yip to co-design games with children. Other groups have also expressed interest.
Lee emphasizes that the co-design process is all about empowering communities.
“It’s not that these people are helplessly being affected by misinformation,” Lee said. “There is, within the community, movement to also address it. And what we’re trying to do here is to work with them to boost that, not inject something that’s not there. … The researchers don’t have to go in and solve their problem. That’s not how it works.”
Play Galaxy now!
