Is Grandma feeling a little sad? Hand her an Xbox controller and things just might get better. A recent study done by a team at North Carolina State University found out that seniors who play video games have a healthier sense of well-being and are generally less depressed than those who don’t game at all. The study split seniors into three groups: seniors who played video games at least once a week, those who played video games less frequently than that, and those who don’t game at all. It turns out that the first two groups had higher levels of well-being and social functioning, while the third group was more negative and more depressed. The study was relatively small and only looked at 140 seniors, but researchers say it suggests there’s a link between gaming and well-being. The next time you think Grandpa might be feeling a little lonely, invite him to help you kill some zombies in Call of Duty. It might just cheer him up.
About Shelly Palmer
Shelly Palmer is the Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and CEO of The Palmer Group, a consulting practice that helps Fortune 500 companies with AI strategy, implementation and governance, as well as technology, media and marketing. Named one of LinkedIn’s Top Voices in Technology, he is a bestselling author, covers tech and business for Fox 5’s Good Day New York, is a regular commentator on CNN, and writes the popular daily business blog Think About This. Follow @shellypalmer or visit shellypalmer.com.