Digital Gaming Trends of Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Sample from Turkey

Abstract

Background Although the gaming habits of children, adolescents, and younger adults have been investigated in Turkey there has been less emphasis on the gaming patterns of middle-aged and older adults. The current study therefore investigated middle-aged and older adults' digital gaming habits, the aspects of digital games that they believe are enjoyable and any perceived psychological and cognitive advantages. Methods Of the 177 middle-aged and older adults aged between 55 and 85 years (M = 62) living in Turkey who partook in the study, data from 140 participants were analyzed. Participants completed the 'Demographic Information Form' and Engagement with Digital Games Questionnaire' via a Qualtrics link that was distributed on social media platforms and using the convenience and snowball sampling technique. Results Findings of this study showed that out of the 57 digital game players, the majority (N = 34) reported to play puzzle games such as Candy Crush. Moreover, gamers indicated that they believed digital games had psychological and cognitive benefits. Conclusion Overall, the findings of the current study revealed that middle-aged and older adults enjoy playing digital games for fun, stress relief, and as a mental exercise regime.