Nintendo-playing centenarian (100 year old) says video games secret to youth

Nintendo-playing centenarian says video games secret to youth

Telegraph.co.u k

Kathleen Connell, known as Kit, turned 100 last week but attributes her sharp mind to regular sessions on her hand-held games console.
"It's absolutely super, I can't speak highly enough of it. I don't know what I would do without it," the grandmother of one said.
"I'll play it in the evening, then I'll have a break and a cup of tea, then I'll go back to playing my Nintendo," she added.

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I didn't see this anywhere, and not sure if this is the proper forum, but I found it interesting and wanted to share the story with all of you. Does this change your opinion of video games, if you had an opinion? Do you think we'll see electronic devices being standard issue in schools, doing away with paper and textbooks altogether?

Read this the other day.

Made me

Though I'm laughing, I get the feeling she would own me at Mario Kart 7..

[color=limegreen]Gamers REJOICE!!

The next time some NON-gamer tells us to turn off the video games, we can fight back in defense that we are only doing it to increase our life expectancy!!

That will show them gaming-haters!!! Stick it to 'em!!

reply to post by OrphenFire


Yep...this story is going straight to my wife.

Are there any scientific studies that have looked into this? It'd be interesting to see how her claim actually plays out. I don't know about actual life expectancy itself, but definitely something with how the mind works:

She proudly admitted that Brain Trainer had scored her a mental age of 64-years-old - 36 years younger than her real age.

She has a Nintendo DS though? That's weak! Somebody get that lady an Xbox 360! Not with online mode though, some of the things people say on there would probably give her a heart attack

I do think video games are great for old people, any challenge to the brain is healthy! there should be a big market for games made for them only, maybe it's only a mather of time!

reply to post by iamdavid


Some old people are just young people who have been alive longer. I think a gaming market for the elderly gamers out there isn't a bad idea at all. With the right marketing, you can get old people to buy almost anything. And why not provide a gaming service intended to keep their minds sharp and young, while offering them fun times and keeping them up to date with current technology.

It makes sense. One of the best ways you can prevent senility is to keep your mind engaged. What better way to keep your mind engaged than something that is relying on pretty much your entire cerebral cortex?

It does seem logical for computer games to help keep dementia away. Keeping the mind busy during old age definitely would seem to have its benefits.

reply to post by OrphenFire


Oh thats a great idea live an extra 30 years by playing video games (ie:killing time) 4 hours a day X 365 days in a year = 1,460 hours or 60.83 days per year X 100 years = 6083 days or 16.66 years

it seems that if you have to play for 4 hours it's a 1 to 2 thing (ie: 1 wasted year gives 1 additional year) but if you had to play more then 8 hours a day then your really not living much longer then your were without video games.... unless you consider video games having a life

Oh and I'm a VG JuNKie so I'll be here another century beaches

reply to post by FORMe2p00p0n


But consider that for most elderly people their day doesn't consist of much more than watching TV. So in this case playing video games is a much more beneficial option. Sure, going out and doing something like learning a new language is even more beneficial, but most elderly aren't going to seek out that opportunity. If they're going to be watching TV anyway they might as well be doing something the engages their brain.

I'd love to see her play some MW3 and, "pwn some n00bs" so to speak.

According to this, I'm going to live forever lol

reply to post by KILL_DOGG


I showed it to my mom.

And she had the audacity to say "that's what i want!"

That'll do ATS, that'll do.

I always kinda thought the same. When i get too old to do stuff I will just play online computer games for fun. In the meantime I have plenty to be getting on with.

reply to post by purplemer


This gives me a vision of a hilarious future where online games are populated by 97% old people who are us. Like... our future selves, when old, are going to be the majority of the online game population. Lol.

Omg I just found my past or future self someone tell her I said hello and we so totally need to trade pokemon jk but we almost have exact names lol and AKA lol

Also I will be playing all my life or until the apocalypse where survival returns