by Stephanie Palazzolo, managing editor
“Plant Nanny,” an app available on Google Play and the App Store, encourages users to stay hydrated by “feeding” their plants when they drink water. In a way, it’s mildly terrifying how much I depend on a technological “rewards” system in order to drink water (literally, the main thing keeping me alive), but the one thing I’ll give the app is that it is very effective.
Starting out, you’re allowed to name your plant, in some attempt to develop an emotional bond with the little cluster of pixels. After running through basic instructions, “Plant Nanny” pretty much leaves the user on his own to explore. The app offers several customization options, including changing the background, flowerpot and, eventually, the type of plant. In addition, the app sends helpful, albeit slightly annoying, notifications every few hours that remind the user to drink some water. “Plant Nanny” works on a “level-up” system; after drinking a certain amount of water, the player and his plant get to level up.
While using this app, I’ve found myself chugging down three glasses of water before bedtime (not a good idea) just to finish my day’s amount of water; the competitive and fun nature of the app ends up being more motivating than purely my actual hydration. However, the app’s lack of instructions does make it a little confusing at times, and extra features are often exorbitantly pricey (500 seeds for a new background? No way!). Additionally, the app doesn’t have any sort of “time-out” feature that allows you to take a break. Instead, if you forget to feed the plant for a few days, it just dies. Whoop. This may or may not have caused me to send frantic “FEED MY PLANT” messages to my sister’s Facebook every two hours when she borrowed my phone during a debate trip…
“Plant Nanny” isn’t for everyone, sure. If you’re not one who gets addicted to app games (like me), maybe your own survival and health will be a good enough motivation to down some glasses of water. But if you need an extra little push, I’d suggest this simple and fun game.
“Plant Nanny” is available on the App Store and Google Play.
