Source: Boing Boing
Singapore's National Library Board is monetizing habit formation itself, betting that micro-incentives (2 cents daily) can rewire leisure behavior at population scale. This reflects a shift in how governments think about public goods—not as free services to be consumed, but as behavioral contracts requiring financial participation nudges, similar to cashback apps or loyalty programs. The model tests whether reading, increasingly treated as a declining skill rather than a cultural default, now requires the same friction-reduction mechanics as fitness apps or meditation platforms.