Digital Discoverer: Anna Sort
- Written by: Anna Sort — PlayBenefit — CEO and author
- Published: 29th November 2018
A bonus blog in our 'Discover Digital' series to launch an exciting new game.
Discover Digital: for your health and wellbeing was Scotland’s first week of hands on, immersive, multi-media experiences where people of all backgrounds and ages experienced how digital technologies could improve their everyday wellbeing.
To celebrate this ground-breaking initiative and the launch of the Discover Glasgow Digital Trail, we have asked Anna Sort (this link will take you away from our website) what being a Digital Discoverer means to her. Anna is CEO of PlayBenefit and author of “From games to health”.
1. Tell us a bit about yourself
My name is Anna Sort and I’m a nurse, entrepreneur and gamer.
I’ve loved videogames since I was introduced to them at the age of 5 by my brother. I liked helping people and thought I could really do a good job on it, so I decided nursing was my career. I never thought the two of them could come together until I ended up working as a company nurse for one of the biggest videogame companies in the world, Blizzard Entertainment. There I had a personal experience that made me rethink my career path and my contribution as a nurse to improve people’s life.
2. Your first memory of being awed by technology
VIDEOGAMES. I was like, if we can create this much fun with this machines, I’M IN. What I think is very exciting about video games is that they are the first ones to apply a new technology to them. They are fearless.
3. Three ways in which you use digital tech to look after your health / wellbeing.
I do have many gadgets, we like to try things at home. Have a smartwatch and then a thing that tracks your sleep as I thought I was never going to be able to sleep with something on my wrist like (when Fitbit came out). Also when I’m most under pressure I keep up a calorie counter or similar app because I know I tend to overeat. I have tried to use a gym app but not a fan of those yet. However I do use Youtube to tune in with my favourite yoga teacher ever, Adrienne.
4. The most ridiculous app currently installed on your phone
Happy Love. The story is funny! I don’t even know how to use it, I downloaded for research purposes. I think it’s supposed to be an app to have like a relationship score, save pics with your loved one and places and chat or play a game just the two of you. A bit weird!
5. Which aspect of Discover Digital are you most excited about?
I think discovering is great, but I think it’s even more fascinating changing paradigms of the old and the “we’ve always done it this way” by asking the boldest/silliest WHYs. Or more obvious, like the ones that none has asked, because why would you ask why a candle is romantic? Also using current technologies that are SUPER obvious in one area into another area, where it was never thought it could work or actually benefit from.
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