The first ’real’ digital native generation
Many people believe that we are the first digital generation. I’m talking about us, Gen X’ers that first revelled in the wonder that was PONG, then the Nintendo 8 bit revolution that kept us enthralled. However, more ‘responsible’ adults told us that TV would rot our brains and cause the moral decline of the world as we knew it. Of course this didn’t happen and there have been many technical innovations and fads since then, bearing the brunt of the same doom-mongering.
Who are Generation X?
Marketing and advertising have always – since their inception – wanted to know who their target audience or potential customers are. This is primarily to help companies target advertising, communications and marketing. It is crucial to understand groups and their perceived characteristics and behaviors.
Generation X are those people born between 1965 and 1980. We are the children of the Baby Boomer generation and the first on the front-line of the silicon chip revolution and the advent of the Internet and World Wide Web.
In marketing terms Generation Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) are what are known as ‘Digital Natives’. They have been born into the world of Tablets, Cell Phones, smart this, smart that and super fast access to the web. They have known nothing else but technology literally at their fingertips.
So where do ‘Older Gamers’ sit in the hierarchy of technology?
Our children do not see the device while they play games and they also value social interaction in their play. They only see access to information that they need and want. Games and gaming are so ubiquitous now, we as Gen-Xers play games while our children do not see the actual device. We tell them they over-share on digital platforms, they call us the same things we call our parents and the circle of life comes round again!
But there is a serious side to all of this and that is the acknowledgment that technology can have a positive effect on us as we get older. We can use it to try and stave off the obvious signs of degradation in our facilities and use it to improve our brains as we age. And not just for our mental health, there are clear physical benefits as well.
There have been many fantastic studies around the belief that gaming can benefit people in later life in various ways and even improve some serious conditions.
- Clinical Trial to Determine if Video Games can Relieve Late-Life Depression: https://healthcare.utah.edu/publicaffairs/news/2021/07/morimoto-game-depression.php
- Gaming Your Mental Health: A Narrative Review of Mitigating Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety Using Commercial Video Games: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34132648/
- Can video games relieve depression in older adults: https://kslnewsradio.com/1962030/depression-in-older-adults-video-games
Playing games can help rather than hinder brain degradation as we age and improve cognitive skills
My main focus here is console games, as they are more accessible to older users and PC gaming is another whole story and revelation all of its own. There can be many social and cognitive benefits that video games including VR can offer older adults
Andrew Carle,is the founder of the nation’s only graduate Concentration in Senior Living Administration, within the Georgetown University Program in Aging & Health. In 2004, he coined the term “Nana” Technology and has consulted on technologies for older adults with companies including APPLE, Nintendo, GTX Corporation, and Vigorous Mind, among others.
Health Benefits for Older Gamers:
BETTER EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING.
So it’s no surprise that older players who enjoy video game play find themselves in better moods. A study of 140 seniors over 63 years old concluded that both regular and occasional video gamers reported enhanced well-being, social functioning, and health than non-gamers. In addition, they reported significantly lower rates of depression among people who play video games than those who don’t.
IMPROVED BALANCE
Video games can provide physical benefits, too, especially for seniors. Certain games that require physical interaction, like Wii Sports and similar titles, can help seniors improve balance, coordination, and reflexes due to the quick decision-making and action required to play. Some seniors have even reported faster walking speeds as a result of playing video games. It may not be obvious at first, but improving cognitive skills can translate into greater balance and gait.
ENHANCED COGNITIVE ABILITY
Video games have the potential to support improvement not only emotionally and physically, but cognitively, as well. In fact, a University of California San Francisco study showed significant improvement in cognitive ability, effectively reversing signs of aging in seniors who played 3D virtual reality games.
REDUCED RISK OF ALZHEIMER’S
With an estimated 5.5 million seniors suffering from Alzheimer’s in the U.S. alone, treatment methods are heavily scrutinized and highly valued. Recent research has demonstrated a link between playing video games and a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s as well as improving working memory. The study looked at connections between gaming and tissue growth in different areas of the brain — especially the hippocampus, an area associated with memory and Alzheimer’s progression.
IMPROVING REACTION TIMES
As people age, their reaction speed usually decreases. This reduction in reaction speed can be dangerous in some situations, such as driving. Studies show that games that require quick decision-making and reaction in a short time can, to some extent, improve the rate of response of older adults.
What types of non-digital games are best and why?
Although this article is mainly talking about console games. Many of them require some element of physical activity, but especially dexterity need to play. There are also non-digital games that can also help to improve cognitive intelligence in older adults. Games like:
– Chess or Checkers – games with an element of strategy to get the brain working
– Word games – crossword puzzles are great, they can help to improve memory
– Jigsaw puzzles, good for manual dexterity
We could go on and on, but any games that influence our brain in these ways will benefit us and help us cope with some of the common ailments and degenerative elements associated with aging. According to some studies, the non-competitive nature of some games can foster a sense of community among its players.
How many old gamers are there?
While many people assume that only teenagers and children play computer games, the reality is much different. Research has found that around 41% of gamers are between the ages of 18 and 49. In addition, 26% of people who play computer games are over the age of 50!
In addition, studies have revealed that older people play video games to test their memory and logic skills. Older people tend to prefer card games, computerized board games and puzzles. This may be due to the fact that their reaction time is somewhat slower than younger people, which makes it difficult to compete in arcade-style games.
Many elderly gamers enjoy playing “active” computer games like those available on the [Wii]. Games on the Wii use a motion-sensitive controller to manipulate objects on the screen. The player holds the controller in their hand and moves their arm or entire body to control the action on the screen.
Helping older adults remain technically literate
Anything that keeps us active is also a positive outcome from playing these types of games. There is also the factor that they can bring together and engage different generations in a way that maybe board games don’t. It’s not to say that board games don’t have their place. They do. However, bridging that gap between digital natives of the Gen Z and Millennials generation and older adults can only be a good thing.
It’s a positive way to bring us together in an age where technology helps us, but can move us further from the social contact we need as human beings. The older generations can feel left behind, and it’s natural for us to feel that ‘our’ generation is the influential, when in fact, bringing us all together shows we can learn from each other.
Conclusion
There are many positive and measurable benefits for older adults using console games. Any kind of activity can be beneficial in terms of improved mental health, physical dexterity, and improved cognitive activity.
There is also a social side to this activity for all generations. This is something we can show to our parents, grandparents and promote it as a positive activity for us all. We gain so much more when we connect with others.
The digital age has brought about many amazing leaps in understanding and tools that can help us share information, process tasks and help make certain tasks easier. What we also need to focus on is the positive effects it can have on us as we pass on knowledge. We need to involve our elders in this new age of gaming.
