COMPUTER GAMES AND THE OLDER GENERATION

• Main Author: Wacher, Elin Gunnarsdottir
• Format: Others
• Language: Swedish
• Published: Malmö högskola, Fakulteten för hälsa och samhälle (HS) 2016
• Subjects: old people; computer games; elderly; well-being; health benefits; digital games; positive benefits; Social Sciences; Samhällsvetenskap
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-25230

The main purpose of the survey was to map older generations’ use of computer games, hereafter called gaming, and to highlight positive effects gaming has on the aging person. The goal of the survey is to contribute with deeper understanding and broadened awareness of which possibilities gaming offer to improve the wellbeing of the ageing human being. The collected empirical information was based on these questions: What does gaming look like amongst societies’ persons of the third age? Which factors contribute to encourage the ageing person to play? Can gaming be an important preventive factor for the ageing persons of the future? The gathering of data was carried out, using two different methods. A questionnaire based survey and thematically opens interviews. The selection of participants in the questionnaire based survey consisted of 32 persons. Two interviews were carried out. One with two persons and one with one person. All participants were of the third age, meaning that they are healthy and can manage daily life themselves. The result of the questionnaire based survey indicates thatmost persons of the third age, in spite of being in possession of digital instruments, well suited for gaming, very few of them actually play, and have no interest in it. The results of the interviews indicate that the lack of interest by older adults can partially be caused by the mass medias’ exposure of negative effects gaming can have on people, and partially by a lack of exposure of positive effects it can have to achieve improved wellbeing. Furthermore, the results of the interviews indicate that what could increase older persons interest in gaming, is research confirming the positive effects it can have on older persons, and that games that are both interesting and satisfying are available.