Elderly People Who Play Video Games are Happier and Healthier

Video games are often associated with teens or young men. However, that understanding may soon change, because a new study has found that older people should also become regular games. The reason for this advice is that regular elderly gamers were discovered to be happier and healthier than their non-gaming counterparts.

This discovery was made by the North Carolina State University. The results from the study were recently published online. In it, Dr. Jason Allaire, who is one of the scientists that conducted the research, states that there is a general connection between emotional and physical health and gaming.

According to the paper, video games have a really positive effect on various people, professionals and age groups. For example, the study found that surgeons who play on portable consoles perform better keyhole and laparoscopic surgeries. Children who play video games, on the other hand, waste a big part of their extra energy. In other words, kids who play console games are often less hyperactive. That is some really good news for parents all over the world!

The most interesting discovery of the scientists from the North Carolina State University, however, concerns the elderly. In the research also participated 140 people who were 63+ years old. Their average age was estimated to be 77 years. The older participants in the study were interviewed about their gaming habits, if any, as well as about their physical and emotional well-being. More than half of them claimed that they played video games occasionally. Surprisingly, about 35% of the older folks in the study shared that they were regular gamers. The rest of the participants reported that they do not play games.

What was discovered was that both occasional and regular elderly gamers said that they were feeling really healthy and happy. In comparison, their counterparts, who were not fans of gaming, were more negative, depressed and unhealthy.

However, the group of scientists that conducted the study warns that these results and discoveries are not conclusive enough. According to them that is due to the fact that the research was small-scaled and it relied on the self-reported physical condition of the elderly participants. That is why the North Carolina State University plans to soon continue and update its research with more details and information.

Despite that elderly people are encouraged to play video games as much as they can since gaming does have a positive effect on people’s mood.

So if you are wondering what present you should get for you gran’s birthday, a console may be a good idea!