Games for Grandma

The following section was taken from a literature review entitled, "Social Effects of Electronic Interactive Games". It can be found in its entirety at http://www.mediascope.org/pubs/seeig.htm#research%20and%20literature%20review This was the part I found especially interesting:

Although the majority of the current research is focused on the impact of video games on adolescents and young children, the use of video games to help improve the perceptual motor skills and self-esteem of elderly adults merits these studies a separate section of their own. A few interesting findings of this area's eight studies include:

• Elderly adults who played video games responded faster on a reaction time task than those who did not play video games (Clark, J.E. et al.).

• Significant improvements in self-esteem were found in elderly adults exposed to video games for eight weeks (McGuire, F.A.).

• Video games were used to improve a variety of perceptual-motor skills in a group of senior citizens. Subjects also reported improved coordination, better driving habits and few minor mishaps in the home (Drew, B., & Waters, J.).

• In an evaluation of the adaptation and use of video games by elderly adults, the games were shown to encourage concentration and focus attention. Although the games created some anxiety and fear of failure, most subjects enjoyed the games and developed a feeling of mastery (Weisman, S.).

• Video games could be used as a non-threatening tool for the diagnosis of physical and mental problems (Weisman, S.).

I think it will be interesting to see what the generation that grew up playing video games and remembering nothing different will do. I read another article that said that video game creators are looking in to "going gray" with some of their titles to try to keep people playing well into their adult years and increase their market share. It might have a neat side effect of fewer instances of dimentia and Alzheimer's, possibly. I think I might give ol' Mario and Luigi a call...it's been years...

Peggy