Seniors Who Play Video Games Report Better Sense of Emotional Well-Being

New research finds that older adults who play video games report higher levels of emotional well-being. It’s correlation, not causation, but it is interesting.

Researchers at NC State’s Gains Through Gaming lab asked 140 people aged 63 and older how often they played video games, if at all. The study participants then took a battery of tests to assess their emotional and social well-being. 61 percent of study participants played video games at least occasionally, with 35 percent of participants saying they played at least once per week.

The study found that participants who played video games, including those who only played occasionally, reported higher levels of well-being. Those who did not play video games reported more negative emotions and a tendency toward higher levels of depression.

“The research published here suggests that there a link between gaming and better well-being and emotional functioning,” says Jason Allaire, lead author of a paper describing the study and an associate professor of psychology at NC State. “We are currently planning studies to determine whether playing digital games actually improves mental health in older adults. ”

The paper, “Successful aging through digital games: Socioemotional differences between older adult gamers and non-gamers,” was published online this week in Computers in Human Behavior. The paper was co-authored by Dr. Anne McLaughlin, an assistant professor of psychology at NC State; NC State Ph.D. students Amanda Trujillo, Laura Whitlock and Landon LaPorte; and Dr. Maribeth Gandy of the Georgia Institute of Technology.