In an increasingly digital world, humans are exposed to vast amounts of “information-that-requires-action” through interactive online platforms, particularly video games. The authors propose that this exposure, when meaningful and moderately challenging (i.e., “pleasantly frustrating” rather than overwhelming), acts as a form of beneficial positive stress known as hormesis.This mild cognitive stress triggers adaptive neuronal responses, upregulating metabolism, enhancing neuroplasticity, and activating protective mechanisms (such as heat shock proteins). These brain-level improvements extend beyond cognition to influence broader somatic repair processes, potentially slowing age-related degeneration and improving both mental and physical health in older adults.Key supporting evidence includes:
- Older adults who play complex video games (especially 3D, strategic, or multiplayer titles like World of Warcraft or League of Legends) show improvements in memory, attention, reaction time, multitasking, hippocampal function, and even physical outcomes like balance and strength.
- Regular internet use and online cognitive activities are linked to reduced loneliness, better psychological well-being, higher quality of life, lower dementia risk, and even increased life expectancy.
- Cognitive training has lasting positive effects on physical functioning, vitality, and instrumental activities of daily living in seniors.
The authors conclude that engaging, action-oriented digital activities—especially online video games—represent a modern, accessible form of hormetic challenge comparable to physical exercise. They argue that encouraging older adults to participate in such “challenging but doable” digital experiences could be a powerful, underused strategy for promoting cognitive resilience, neuroprotection, and healthier aging overall.
Amazing, kept on telling all my friends ( my old age buddies) that if you do not play video games you will age faster , I guess I was right