Senior Gamers

Not just for teens and 20-somethings, video games can exert beneficial effects for seniors.  Jason C. Allaire, North Carolina State University (North Carolina, USA), and colleagues asked 140 people, ages 63 years and older, how often they played video games, if at all:  61% of study participants played video games at least occasionally, with 35% of participants saying they played at least once per week.  The subjects took a battery of tests to assess their emotional and social well-being.  The team found that participants who played video games, including those who only played occasionally, reported higher levels of well-being. Those who did not play video games reported more negative emotions and a tendency toward higher levels of depression.  Writing that: “Regular and Occasional Gamers [perform] better, on average, than Non-gaming older adults,” the study authors submit that: “Findings suggest that playing may serve as a positive activity associated with successful aging.”