Can you survive a month in (American) poverty?

Wow. This is pretty strong stuff.

”Spent” is an online game that challenges players to survive for a month in the United States after losing your job (and having no savings).

Created by Urban Ministries of Durham, in North Carolina, it asks you to make a series of tough choices as you get a low-paying job, attempt to juggle unpayable bills, and try to feed your family.

I was able to get through the month, but only by ignoring my child’s educational and emotional needs, turning a blind eye to my own failing health, and isolating myself from friends and family.

More after the break.

It’s a really eye-opening experience to even think about what it’s like to see no way out of the downward cycle of poverty, from “working poor” to completely destitute. When the month is done, there is an option to donate to the church’s mission through PayPal.

The game is simple, and most choices are pretty binary. An interesting option is frequent Facebook prompts, where you can “ask a friend” to help you out.

But while this was a great consciousness-raising (and hopefully fundraising) exercise, it was even more disturbing to play the game as someone who isn’t American. The idea of paying for expensive private-sector health insurance, and not having access to reasonable public transportation made me wonder if there’s a worse place in the first world to be poor:

Are you ready to play?

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