Everything We Do Can Be Rationalized

(Image from Aurous Health Care)

In my youth videogames were a distraction from accomplishing goals like career advancement, building family relationships, and staying in shape. Now that I'm a senior citizen I'm encouraged to play videogames to keep my brain healthy [bold added]

As reported in the journal Nature in 2013, the Gazzaley lab [at UCSF] trained 60- to 85-year-old subjects on a game called NeuroRacer. The multitask version involves simulated driving along a winding road while quickly pressing keys or a game controller to respond to a green sign when it appears on the roadside. [snip]

After 12 hours of training spread evenly over a month, multitasking subjects were about twice as efficient at shifting attention as when they started, a huge improvement by any standard. Remarkably, their new scores were comparable to those of 20-year-olds not trained on NeuroRacer. The subjects still tested positive six months later.

Playing videogames appears to have joined a host of other activities (coffee, golf, sex, sleep, partying, alcohol) that in excess were regarded as selfish indulgences when young but are now viewed favorably when done by seniors.

Kids, we're doing it for our health, which in turn keeps us from being a burden to our family and to society. So really, we're thinking of you. V-rrr-oom!