Video Games Help Improve Senior Health

Research shows better well-being and emotional functioning

You're never too old to play video games. Researchers from North Carolina State University have found a link between elderly people who dabble behind the controller and better emotional health.

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

Video game-playing has been linked to several positive health benefits. Active video games have been linked to increased energy expenditure in children, and surgeons who played Nintendo Wii games were show to outperform their peers in laparoscopic or keyhole surgery procedures.