Can Online Games Help Tackle Loneliness?
Online games offer a fun way for older adults to reconnect with loved ones
According to recent figures, around 50% of people over the age of 60 will face social isolation and around 33% will experience some level of loneliness during the remaining period of their lives¹.
These figures point to a growing public health issue affecting older members of the population — one that is likely to continue within aging societies across the globe.
Before going any further, let’s take a look at loneliness and isolation.
What is loneliness?
According to one definition, loneliness is a social and emotional phenomenon. Here, social loneliness refers to a “subjective negative feeling associated with a lack of social network”, and emotional loneliness refers to the “absence of a specific companion”².
Social isolation has multiple dimensions but can be summed up as a lack of social interactions with friends, family, and the community³.
This is something all of us have had to cope with since the outbreak of Covid-19.
