Access and employment of digital technologies are at an all-time high today in all the domains relevant for the smooth functioning of the society. According to Eurostat, in 2023, 91% of the total population of the European Union used the Internet at least once in the last 3 months [1]. Despite this, the digital divide between the younger generation and the older generation is starkly visible, as only 72% of the population between 65 and 75 years old has used the internet at least once in the last 3 months, compared to almost 99% of the population between 15 and 24 years old [1]. Granted, the figures improved from those of the COVID-19 Pandemic, but there is still a substantial percentage of the senior population that has very limited or no contact with smart devices, such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, wearables, smart TVs etc.

The employment of technology and the internet should, thus, be considered a priority for the senior population. Towards that end, the pleasant path involves integration through digital games, and an example of such use is as an intrinsic part of the CAREUP European Project (Integrated Care Platform Based on the Monitoring of Older Individual Intrinsic Capacity for Inclusive Health). Further proof of their value, according to several studies, is that games improve the mood and social participation of players by providing them with a place where they can interact with peers [2,3]. Moreover, digital gamification is an educational tool, helping in the development of ICT skills, improvement of hand-eye coordination, of focus, of logic, of language skills and calculus.

In this article we will provide a short description of the main commercially available educational games for seniors. Furthermore, we will present a suite of games created within the CAREUP Project. CAREUP is developing a holistic digital platform with the aim of supporting older adults to adhere to healthy aging through self-monitoring of their physical and mental capacities. The platform also employs gamification elements, which aid mental health assessment, training and motivating users in adhering to a healthy lifestyle.

References:
[1] Eurostat, 2023. Individuals – internet use (Database ISOC_CI_IFP_IU). [online] Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/. Accessed at 29th of October 2024.
[2] Sauvé, L. et al., 2017. Can digital games help seniors improve their quality of life?. Communications in Computer and Information Science, pp. 179–192.
[3] McLaughlin, A., Gandy, M., Allaire, J., & Whitlock, L., 2012. Putting Fun into Video Games for Older Adults. Ergonomics in Design, 20(2), 13–22.

Keywords: Education, gamification, seniors, serious games, digital technologies.