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Quiz: Find Out How Gaming Promotes Social Connections

In-person and online games can play an important role in healthy aging

Tracy Schorn,

AARP

En español

Published April 27, 2023

9 Questions

91ac1ed0-15b0-444c-acb1-fbe6c1430754

Quiz: Find Out How Gaming Promotes Social Connections

[ {
  "question" : "True or false: Socializing is one of the main reasons people choose online gaming. ",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "True",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "False",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Despite the stereotype of the introverted loner, a 2021 survey of online gamers by Statista found that connecting with others was the top reason cited for gaming (84 percent). And 80 percent reported that video games helped players meet new people.",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "Which of these celebrity bridge players’ quotes are fictitious?  ",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "“No matter where I go, I always make friends at the bridge table.” — Martina Navratilova ",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "“One bridge game is worth 20 cocktail parties.” — Warren Buffett ",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "“Bridge is one of the last games in which the computer is not better.” — Bill Gates",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "“If you don’t play bridge by the time you’re 40, you will have no friends.” — Isaac Mizrahi ",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "They’re all true. ",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "They’re all made up. ",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "As these famous players can attest, bridge is an enduring game not only for its mental challenge but for the social aspect as well. According to researchers at Scotland’s University of Stirling, bridge has a positive effect on well-being.  ",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "Adults over 50 say they sometimes play games with others instead of solo. What percentage of gamers say they connect with others while gaming online?  ",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "81 percent",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "68 percent ",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "20 percent",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "4 percent",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "About two-thirds of online gamers over 50 say they communicate with other players through in-game chats, texts, app messaging or by phone, according to the AARP report “The 50+ Gamer of Today and Tomorrow.”  \n\n",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "Older online gamers express frustrations about some of the games available today. What are their top concerns? ",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Instructions for play are challenging.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Characters don’t look like them.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Some games claim to be free but really aren’t.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Games make it difficult to play with others.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "All of the above.",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Older gamers say the lack of people their age involved in game design means they often feel marginalized, according to an article from AARP. In 2021, only 13 percent of game developers were 45 or older, noted the International Game Developers Association. ",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "In a British survey of 1,000 amateur gamers, what percentage of them met their significant other through video games?",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "10 percent",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "24 percent",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "60 percent ",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "Gamers don’t have IRL relationships.",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "According to a 2021 survey by Logitech G UK, 60 percent of respondents met their significant others while gaming. ",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "Whom do gamers over 50 most often play games with?  ",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "In-person friends",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Children or grandchildren",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "Random people online",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Online friends",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Siblings or other family ",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "Among gamers 50 and older, 20 percent said they played with children and grandchildren, according to AARP’s report “The 50+ Gamer of Today and Tomorrow.” ",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "The popular board game Scrabble tests players’ vocabulary and spelling skills. What percentage of U.S. households have a Scrabble board?  ",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "2 percent",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "16 percent",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "33 percent ",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "51 percent ",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "One-third of American households — 33 percent. In British households the answer is 51 percent.  ",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "What are some of the reported social benefits of the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons?  ",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Helps to teach social skills ",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Alleviates depression and anxiety ",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Promotes group problem-solving ",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "All of the above ",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "During the coronavirus pandemic, Dungeons & Dragons exploded in popularity, reaching over 50 million players worldwide. The game, played in person or online, leads players through a storytelling adventure where characters meet adversity together. According to Game to Grow, a nonprofit dedicated to the use of games in therapy, the ability to work out problems as a character builds social confidence. ",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
}, {
  "question" : "Harvard is doing a long-range study of players of which game to see if they suffer cognitive decline? ",
  "answers" : [ {
    "answer" : "Trivial Pursuit",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Cribbage",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Chess ",
    "correctAnswer" : true
  }, {
    "answer" : "Mah-jongg",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  }, {
    "answer" : "Pickleball ",
    "correctAnswer" : false
  } ],
  "multiSelect" : false,
  "explanation" : "The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health is studying aging and cognitive ability among chess players. Researchers will analyze games from the U.S. Chess Federation database and follow 200 players in a long-range study. The research could shed light on how playing complicated strategy games like chess could prevent cognitive decline. ",
  "hint" : "",
  "hintLink" : "",
  "questionImgCaption" : "",
  "questionImgCredit" : ""
} ]

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Tracy Schorn is the creator of the popular advice site ChumpLady.com and former state news editor at the AARP Bulletin.

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