How Virtual Worlds Can Benefit Senior Citizens (Comment of the Week)

My "How avatars change who we are" article for Samsung EDGE's Components mentioned a study suggesting that being Einstein in VR seems to improve a user's IQ, and longtime reader Luther Weymnn notes that this phenomenon also seems to happen in non-VR virtual worlds:

Over the past decade, I've chatted with dozens of SL content creators who are between the ages of 65-85. Previously, I thought that I was in a tiny group of senior citizens using SL, but I was wrong. In my 70's having SL as a hobby and creating content a little bit every day has been a powerful method to keep my retired from business brain sharper than most other activities. And this is what all of the senior citizen's content creators I've chatted with agreed upon. Having to creatively think our way through SL product content creation is a terrific way to keep old brains thinking creatively and staying sharp. I attempted to tell my neighbor about the benefits of building in SL. He is also my doctor for the past 35 years. But, all I could get out of him was, "uh-huh, ok, now let's talk about getting you to exercise more." Oh well.

Pulsar concurs, suggesting a reason why the Einstein experiment works, and how it might translate to non-VR worlds:

[I]t's true that it also works in worlds that are not VR. Indeed it also works for some psychological visualization techniques. But "really" seeing your visualization, probably makes it more effective. Some non-VR virtual worlds offer an optional first person view anyway.

If you have little self-confidence, utilizing your avatar to visualize yourself in a certain way, it may give you some... Maybe this also explains some of the improvements in those IQ tests: some people are smarter than they believe, but their insecurities affect them. By visualizing themselves as Einstein, that helped to lift those insecurities.

Also this reinforcement by self-visualization helps other people too: if you are feeling depressed, but you are determined to feel better, immersing yourself in a colorful virtual world and visualizing yourself dressed as colorful or as a fun-loving person helps, sometimes (it depends on various factors and you may need some other kind of help too anyway). But I have seen this helping with panic attacks too, for some people.

To Pulsar's point, the Einstein experiment worked with volunteers who had lower IQs than average, but not those with higher IQs than average. In other words, seeing themselves as smarter actually made them smarter.

Pictured: Einstein's official avatar in Second Life. Yes, it really is the official avatar licensed by Einstein's executors.

Comments

[Luther Weymann]

Yesterday I was on Skype with a woman I met in SL who wanted to voice talk with me. She is one of the hottest most requested DJs in SL. Very busy in SL DJ'ing multiple places almost every day of the week. Here's the funny part. Everyone thinks she must be in her 20's or early 30's because she is so up to date and trendy with her music playlist and how she talks. Nope. She's 78 and still has the voice of a young woman. An elderly widow living alone in an upscale retirement village. SL keeps her mind sharp and gives her great purpose. Phil Rosedale dreamed it would be like this.

[Wagner James Au]

OMG who is she?!