While I previously blogged about how seniors might benefit from playing video games, I feel it is only fair to mention some possible reasons they might not want to play, and also problems that might come up.
Roadblocks to Playing:
Lack of Computer Literacy: I have a 104-year-old friend who does not have a computer or smart phone, and has no desire to get either. She is quite happy with a landline phone and a television, and I'm not going to try to push her into something that would just stress her. The number of seniors with computer literacy; however, is increasing and there is strong evidence that "older adults will learn a new tech skill when they see a reason for it." * I believe there is a percentage of older adults who learned computer skills for their jobs but never played video games that would enjoy them if they tried them.
Some Seniors Think They Are Too Old to Play Video Games: Found on Reddit "Am I too old to play video games, I'm 30?" One Redditor's answer "Dead is too old." Here are a few current and past senior Video Gamers:
Skyrim Grandma (Shirley Curry)
Bacon_Mom (On Twitch)
They Don't Want to Buy Expensive Game Systems: If you have Internet access, there are many games you can play online or even on your smartphone.
Seniors with Vision and Hearing Impairments May Have Trouble Seeing the Screen and/or Hearing the Sounds: I can no longer play Minecraft, Pocket Edition, on my phone because I can't see well enough. I also have trouble hearing the sounds on my regular console. There are some ways to make things easier, though, which I will write about in a later post.
You Can't Teach An Old Dog New Tricks: Not true. Granted that younger people have better reflexes and do learn faster, I believe that seniors have the benefit of experience and patience.
Downsides of Gaming:
It is easy to get too involved in the game and ignore everything else. In Red Dwarf's "Better than Life" episode they had a total immersion reality game that would lead players to ignore their real bodies in favor of a happier virtual reality. Video game addiction can be a real problem.
Here's an AI compilation of all of the other possible problems.
*Yeah, I had to learn how to take photos on my smartphone because almost everyone else in my quilt club could do it.
**GrammaCrackers was victimized by her grandson Lynix, who I think is a jerk. He also ruined his Mom's first time playing Minecraft. You can watch his videos if you don't believe me.
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