The connections between gaming, cognitive exercise, physical activity and positive socialization across the generations are well documented.
“Today’s popular culture is actually making us smarter,” argued Steven Johnson in his book Everything Bad is Good for You, wherein he demonstrates that the mental workout accomplished by gaming results in significantly positive enhancements of a player’s cognitive facilities. Years after his book was published, Scientific American magazine has rounded up the mounting scientific evidence documenting the behavioral benefits of gaming early in life, when young brains have the most “plasticity.”
These studies on the cognitive benefits of social gaming compliment earlier findings published in February of this year by The European Union Parliamentary report which documented the links between positive socialization and kids gaming.
And to keep kids moving, the Wii comes out on top for its exergaming features. This week The Globe and Mail reported on new research initiatives using the Wii by researchers from the University of Calgary and Mount Royal College; the study involves primary school kids and will measure “whether the games have an impact on their cardiovascular fitness, balance and agility.”
Largely due to the popularity of Nintendo’s Wii, The Guardian reports that “we’re all gamers now.” This based on a newly released gaming industry report on sales figures for the first six month of 2009 that show the rise in casual and family gaming, primarily on the Wii platform.
At the other end of the life course then, the connections between gaming and mental fitness among seniors is receiving increased scholarly attention and federal funding. At North Carolina State University, psychologists are studying whether playing certain video games might help slow the effects of aging. As recently reported in TIME magazine, scientists at North Carolina State have been awarded a million dollar grant from the NSF to explore the causes of mental decline, and part of that study will look into the positive correlates between gaming, being socially and physically active, and engaging mentally challenging tasks.
The Nintendo Wii has become popular in seniors centres, with the console enriching the menu of leisure options available there, rather than displacing them. “We still quilt,” says the manager of one retirement home, “but this is something more people can do.” “It’s good exercise,” said one gray gamer when interviewed, “I enjoy the fellowship and the sportsmanship.”
As part of the widespread trend in gray gaming, a local public library in Texas has received state funding to promote indoor wellness and digital literacy in the seniors community. As part of this initiative the library recently hosted a 60+ Wii summer gaming party. “I hope they do this more. It’s a nice thing,” said one 60-something gamer in attendance who admittedly “did terrible,” causing her grand-kids to explode into fits of laughter. “This is wonderful,” she observed.
Good times.
