Wii as entertainment and socialisation aids for mental and social health of the elderly

• Main Authors: Theng, Yin-Leng, Chua, Puay Hoe, Pham, Tan Phat
• Other Authors: Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information
• Format: Conference or Workshop Item
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/97381; http://hdl.handle.net/10220/13158
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

As the world population ages rapidly, it is likely that more elderly risks being detached from society. The possible isolation of many more elderly could lead to societal and mental health problems that could weigh down on public healthcare systems. Using surveys, focus groups, interviews and video analysis, our pilot study examines the effects of the Nintendo Wii games, examples of co-located games, between two generations (old and young), and the factors that could affect the adoption and enjoyment of computer-mediated games as entertainment and socialization aids between the elderly and the youths. This pilot study with 14 pairs of elderly-teenager participants shows that general attitude towards the other age group improves after a period of playing. The paper concludes with a discussion on design recommendations for computer-mediated games in general that can support inter-generational gameplay between the elderly and the youths, and as entertainment and socialisation aids to promote positive mental and social health of the elderly.