Game Theory Breaks Down The "Game" of Trust

Okay, so I sat down to write my next blog post, but instead decided I should check on the subreddit I follow (r/matheducation) real quick before I started. It had been a while since I looked at Reddit, and I convinced myself it would just be a quick stop before diving into my blog post.

An hour plus later, I am now finally writing my post. However, my visit to Reddit completely changed its content. I stumbled upon one of the coolest things I have seen online. It was released this month by Nicky Case and can be found at http://ncase.me/trust/. The post on Reddit was calling it a game. And it is a game, but it is also so much more than that.  It is a commentary on society and the problem with trust. It teaches and makes you think. When I shared it on Twitter, the caption called it "an interactive guide".

Just found this on Reddit. Very cool! I'm interested in its implications for social media. #eme6414 Thoughts? https://t.co/AAio6BK8Mp

— Ginny Smith (@Ginny7s) July 29, 2017

There are 10 pages to the game (numbered 0-9). The first page, page zero, is the introduction, which states that on Christmas in 1914, during World War 1, British and German soldiers met in "No Mans Land" and celebrated the holiday together in a sort of truce. This is followed by the fact that in 2017 trust is at an all time low (looking at the last 40 years) according to survey responses over time. My favorite quote from the new game is on the first page: " Why even in peacetime, do friends become enemies? And why, even in wartime, do enemies become friends?" (Case, p.0).

The next page describes"The game of Trust". It is a basic two person risk/reward scenario game, where you can either chose to cooperate or cheat. The third page is your first chance to play the game. You play 5 opponents an unknown number of rounds (between 3 and 7). At the end of the play you meet your five opponents and are told the strategy (rule) they used to play the game. I cannot reveal any more because I do not wan to spoil the game for anyone, and I highly recommend you play.

I think the following quote from the seventh page is one of the reasons I decided to share this game on my blog. "I think our modern media technology, as much as it's helped us increase communication... has increased our miscommunication much more" (Case, p. 6). Miscommunication being one of the things that leads to distrust.

I leave you with a final quote from the game and one more reminder to go check it out at http://ncase.me/trust/. "In the short run, the game defines the players. But in the long run, it's us players who define the game" (Case, p. 8)

So play the game and let me know what you think. Or if you cannot play the game (for some really good reason), I hope you will share your thoughts on social media miscommunication.

Case, Nicky. (2017). The Evolution of Trust. [Website] retrieved from http://ncase.me/trust/