What are the benefits of playing video games for the elderly?

　　“"Video games" are no longer just the "exclusive love" of teenagers, but also more and more elderly The "darling"”

　　The silver-haired old man’s brain is having fun again by playing puzzle games.

　　Many people like to play "video games" (electronic games). The reason is no mystery. Games can provide fun or some degree of education. Gamers can let their favorite team win, they can imagine themselves as James Bond-like detectives, they can found a country and then lead it through thousands of years of war and peace, and they can drive flashy sports cars at high speeds.……

　　Playing "video games" is no longer just a "special hobby" for teenagers. According to the American Software Entertainment Association, almost 1/5 of Americans over 50 years old played video games last year. In fact, the average age of game players is 30 years old, and the average age of players who buy games is 37 years old, and 43% of the players are women. Not long ago, Japan's Nintendo Co., Ltd. and Japan's Tohoku University Future Science and Technology Research Center developed“ exercise "Brain" series of games has allowed the elderly to change the old concept of "video games are like a scourge". Nowadays, not only children like to play game consoles, but the elderly have also become obsessed with games. More and more elderly people are beginning to enter the colorful and fun world of electronic games.

　　Japanese elderly love to play "mind scanning" game

　　Japan is one of the countries with the fastest aging population in the world. Japanese elderly people are paying more and more attention to mental training on themselves, which has become a secret to longevity. In recent years, various brain training products such as "mind scanning" video game consoles have become popular in Japan. Due to the remarkable effect, Japanese elderly people healthy Awareness is getting stronger and stronger. This game, which targets adults and aims to prevent brain aging and Alzheimer's disease, has been loved by retired people as soon as it was launched. The sales momentum is good, and it has exceeded 1 million units in a short period of time.

　　The function of the human brain begins to decline year by year after puberty, just like physical strength. However, by training the brain every day, the decline of brain power can be slowed down or even stopped. At present, new "brain exercise" games can guide players to solve problems through text, sound, etc., to promote flexible brain operation. Fixed game machines can compete with other people through the computer network. At most, the number of players can reach 16. In addition, in order to exercise the "exercise" of the brain without being limited by time and place, Nintendo has also developed a portable game console that can be used in various public places such as buses and parks.

　　The 62-year-old old lady Sachiko Sakurai, she now sleep I would play the "Mind Scan" game console for a while before. This game can help players judge their brain age and calculate the stress on their brain. Through easy and simple training and games, it can relax the brain and improve brain power. "I never thought I would be able to play video games again, and I wanted to keep my mind strong," Sakurai said. ”Her thoughts also express the sentiments of many elderly Japanese people. Since "brain training" became popular in Japan, game products from companies such as Nintendo have been hot-selling. A Nintendo DS game console has sold 3.4 million units in Japan. Some experts predict that sales of brain training game products in Japan will reach US$195 million this year.

　　There are many older female gamers in South Korea and the United States

　　Video games are also very popular in European and American markets. The Software Entertainment Association reports that nearly one in five Americans over 50 played video games last year. Machabei, a 53-year-old housewife, started playing games such as "Pirate Party" and "Super Granny" two years ago. She said playing video games can help relieve stress and her sleep has also been greatly improved.

　　In South Korea, many people over the age of 60 love a game called "Kart Run" very much. Ms. Park, 62, is one of the many "older" players. She started to get into Kart Racing under the guidance of her son. After becoming obsessed with the game, she often went online to exchange experiences with other players, posted photos of herself in game forums to show players her own photos, and encouraged everyone to pay attention to their health and play "healthy" games. One stone stirred up a thousand waves, and many players responded to the post to express their encouragement for "Aunt Park". Ms. Park believes that the characters and actions of the cartoon game "Kart Run" are very well done. Once you play it, you will forget your age. She also said that if there was a "Kart Racing Competition" for middle-aged and elderly people, she would definitely participate and she was very confident that she would achieve good results.

　　Puzzle games become the favorite of the elderly”

　　The game console that is supposed to be the favorite of young people has become the "darling" of the elderly because this type of game console mainly focuses on educational games, ranging from simple arithmetic, puzzles to brain teasers. The faster you complete all the questions, the closer your brain age is to the prime of life.

　　Games can also add fun to older adults' lives in their later years, as they improve their skills in playing card games, such as poker. They can also train their reaction and thinking skills, and learn the skills to master words and numbers in the game.

　　Games can also reduce the mental stress of the elderly. When the game is won and passed, it can soothe the elderly's emotions and make them cheerful, which can help the elderly have a healthy mentality. Video games are very effective as a relaxation tool.

　　The founder of this game theory is Tohoku University in Japan nerve Professor Kawashima Ryuta believes that simple calculations, reading and writing are beneficial to active human brains. The brain training book he launched in 2003 has been on the bestseller list in Japan. Kawashima said: “Games can reduce the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease, which is a milestone in the history of dementia research. ”

　　According to a British scientific study, playing games can be beneficial to your health. Mark Griffiths, a professor of game research at the University of Nottingham, published a paper in the British Medical Journal stating that playing video games can divert patients' pain and can also be used for physical therapy or to help improve patients' physical strength and speed up recovery. These games allow patients to focus and distract from underlying discomfort, unlike traditional therapy methods, which often rely on passive behavior and painful manipulation of limbs.

　　Elderly gamers become game protagonists

　　Nintendo has launched a new generation of touch-based electronic game products for the brain training of the older generation. The game is completely touch screen, even if it is copied on the market, it is very easy to operate. The product was first launched in the US market, targeting middle-aged and elderly people in their forties and fifties. According to Nintendo senior vice president George Harrison, touch-screen games began to appear and became popular in Japan, where the population is aging faster than in the United States and Western Europe. The company strives to attract people who have never played these games. The games include special effects, music, language and imagination. Good games have clear graphics. The actions of the game characters in the game are just like real people, which means you feel like you are living in the game. Some people think that watching movies can also allow people to experience a different life, but the difference between games and movies is that you are in the game when you play the game. It allows the elderly to try experiences that may never appear in their lives and become saviors of the world, heroes, unknown soldiers or even gods. These experiences give them the opportunity to experience different life experiences. Therefore, compared to TV and movies, video games can make older players the protagonists of the game. They can participate in the game, which is much more interesting than just sitting on the sofa and watching.

　　There are also games that are full of puzzles and mazes, which can test the IQ of elderly players. Just like reading, video games give the elderly the opportunity to exercise their thinking skills. In the game, they must use wisdom to defeat the enemy. There is a game called "Real War", which is based on the artificial intelligence program of the US military. Elderly players must be brave and resourceful if they want to win the war. In this way, video games can also allow elderly players to use their brains more and strengthen their brain power, which can effectively prevent Alzheimer's disease. Some games can also help the elderly maintain a healthy and youthful mentality. As a relaxation tool, video games are very effective.

　　Of course games are not omnipotent

　　As the trend of brain training through video games becomes popular, some experts point out that many of the various electronic brain training methods and products currently emerging on the market have not been medically proven. While brain training can slow the onset of Alzheimer's, it cannot ultimately prevent the disease. Because so far, the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease has not been fully confirmed.

　　Some experts warn that being addicted to game consoles and ignoring the activities of other parts of the body may have counterproductive effects on the health of the elderly. If you want to prevent the occurrence of Alzheimer's disease, you still need to improve your eating habits, have good sleep quality, control blood pressure and cholesterol, prohibit excessive drinking and smoking, walk more, use your brain more, and participate in more community activities.