It’s Game On for Gaming at Any Age

No matter your stage of life, gaming offers valuable benefits

The stereotype of a gamer has been a teenage boy in the basement, but the reality of who plays video games is much different. The average age of a video game player is 35, and the ratio of female to male gamers is about 50:50. Worldwide, there are 3.24 billion gamers, with that number expected to rise to 3.32 billion by 2024.

More than 214 million Americans now play video games, and there is at least one gamer in 75% of American households. If you think you’re not one of them, think again. A gamer isn’t only someone who sits on a sofa with a controller in their hands and headphones on their ears for hours on end. If you play Candy Crush Saga or any game on your phone for even a few minutes each week, you’re also a gamer.

Though different generations may approach gaming differently, this pastime has become popular with folks of all ages.

In the following sections, we look at the benefits of gaming for each age group and share tips to keep in mind for ensuring an optimal experience.

Children

Much has been made of the disadvantages of kids playing video games, including reduced activity and isolation, but gaming can provide many benefits to children:

• Early learning skills. Games like Times Table Rock Stars and Endless Alphabet can help young kids learn the basics in a fun way.
• Memory and concentration. Many games require players to remember
  a lot of information, contributing to improvement in problem-solving skills.
• Skills for the future. Players often need to strategize and be able to analyze risk versus reward. Many future jobs will require these skills as well.
• Teamwork. Through multiplayer games, team members learn to work together to achieve common goals.

Parents can help their kids find the right games by keeping these tips in mind:

• Read reviews from other parents.
• For younger kids, stick to reputable sites like Nickelodeon and CBBC. The games there are appropriate for their developmental stage and, as a bonus, are also free.
• Provide your child with a mix of different types of games, such as puzzles and shooters, so they can experiment with different skills.
• Play games along with your child to connect with them and make sure they stay safe.

Teens

Children can continue to derive benefits from gaming in their teen years:

• Manual dexterity. Gamers are faster and more accurate at per-forming tasks with their hands.
• Increase in brain connectivity. Gaming has been referred to as a “fun workout for your mind” because it increases gray matter in the brain and improves memory, perception, and spatial navigation.
• Social skills. Despite the stereotype of gamers as isolated individuals seeking to escape real life, gaming is often a team activity that enhances social skills and the ability to collaborate.
• Physical activity. Yes, you read that right. Virtual reality (VR) games require players to engage with a virtual environment with their entire bodies, not just their hands.

Parents can help their teens play games in healthy ways by keeping these tips in mind:

• Establish boundaries, such as a limited number of hours per day they’re allowed to play or ratings they must avoid.
• Encourage participation in other social and leisure activities to ensure gaming doesn’t take over their lives.
• Play games with them to connect and learn about their interests.
• Learn together about safety protocols for dealing with others in the gaming world.

Adults

Gaming is beneficial for adults as well. Here are some advantages for young adult and middle-aged gamers:

• Stress reduction. Gaming can boost dopamine levels, leading to pleasurable feelings like surprise, happiness, and enjoyment.
• Flow state. Becoming immersed in an activity to the point where you lose track of time is healthy, and doing so regularly can increase confidence and quality of life.
• Better multi-tasking. Adults have a lot to manage — between work, family, friendships, community involvement, and hobbies. Playing games can help build multi-tasking skills to help.
• Faster decision-making. All those responsibilities also create the need to make endless decisions, which is another skill games help to develop.

If your last experience with playing a video game was Pac-Man in the 1980s, you may not know where to begin with today’s games. Not to worry! There are many games suitable for your stage of life and resources for getting the most out of them. For starters, consider the following tips:

• Ask friends what games they play. Answers may range from staid New York Times puzzles to guilty pleasures like paint-by-number apps or intense active shooters.
• Ask your kids. They may love to play games you wouldn’t like but may be aware of others you would.
• Buy a gaming console. Once you have one, you can browse the selections available to play there.

Seniors

Older adults can also derive significant benefits from gaming. Here are just a few:

• Memory improvement. Trying new things is helpful for maintaining brain health. Video games require learning additional skills, even across levels of the same game.
• Social opportunities. For seniors with limited mobility, going out to meet friends may be a challenge. Gaming can enable social interaction without the need to be physically active.
• Better eyesight. Those who play games become attuned to seeing more details in their environment, which is important for tasks such as driving.
• Improved cognitive abilities. Your ability to recognize and remember objects can decline as you age. Gaming can help slow that decline.

Seniors can learn from tips from the previous section for finding games to play. Here are some additional ones specifically well suited to this age group:

• Stardew Valley. In this relaxing yet challenging game, you play a farmer who can plant, raise animals, fish, mine, and develop relationships with other characters to achieve goals.
• Angry Birds. This game is played on a smartphone or tablet rather than a console. Cute, colorful, and somewhat addicting, it requires hand-eye coordination to use a catapult to fire birds into various structures.
• Pokémon GO. The beauty of this game is in the “GO” part as you explore areas in the real world, with superimposed characters to collect.
• Guitar Hero. Many adults over 50 still love to rock out. This game enables you to listen to some of your favorite bands and use a guitar-shaped controller to play along.