What is the Spent game?
Spent is a very short interactive online game on the realities of the unemployed and the underemployed. Spent is a question-and-answer game where players must make financial choices that determine if they can survive poverty and homelessness.
How the game is played
The game starts with educating players on the reality that over 14 million people are unemployed. Imagine being one of them and having to choose between housing, food, or healthcare. What choices would you make? Can you make it through the month?
The game sets the player with $1,000 for one month, and they must make decisions based on circumstances many people face. The game ends when players either run out of money before the end of the month or make it through with money left over.
The Spent game is offered by the Urban Ministries of Durham and created by the ad agency McKinney. Urban Ministries’ mission “is to provide food, clothing, shelter and supportive services” to those in need, serving over 6,000 people every year.
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What does it mean to be unemployed or underemployed?
Unemployment is the state of being without a job. It’s a reality many individuals face due to various reasons, such as economic downturns or personal circumstances. Beyond the financial strain of lost income, unemployment can lead to feelings of isolation, loss of self-worth, and increased stress and anxiety.
On the other hand, underemployment describes a situation where individuals are working but not to their full capacity. This could mean working in part-time roles when full-time work is desired or not earning a living wage in a 40-hour work week. Despite having some form of employment, underemployed individuals often struggle to make ends meet, making it difficult to afford basic living expenses.
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