By: Las Vegas Now Staff
More and more senior citizens around the country are picking up video game controllers and are taking part in the Nintendo Wii phenomenon. But here in Las Vegas, the video game trend is linking two very different age groups.
For many senior citizens, video games weren't part of their childhood, so learning how to play an interactive video game now isn't easy. But their young teachers have plenty of experience and are learning some things themselves along the way. The students are from Walter Bracken Elementary School and they are working with a nearby senior center.
He may not understand what he's doing, but 67-year-old Clyde Decatur is willing to try. This is the first time he's held a video game controller, but now Clyde's taking a jab at the Nintendo Wii, everything from boxing to bowling.
And his coach is 11-year-old Jakob, “It's kind of frustrating sometimes because sometimes they hold the wrong button and they keep doing it over and over again. You gotta keep telling them.”
But Clyde was satisfied with his teacher. “He was very patient. He seemed to know the answers to the questions before I asked them,” he said.
Every week, students get a chance to interact with seniors who live right across the street from their school.
It's supposed to introduce the older generation to new technology and give the kids a chance to interact with someone older and wiser, but all of them will you tell you it's about the company.
“You get to find friends that are a little bit older than you — or a lot,” said Jakob.
And even though their energy levels are worlds apart, it's the high energy of the kids that makes Clyde realize the risk of trying something new is worth it.
“I really enjoy it. I get a lot of energy from these young people and a lot of instruction,” said Decatur.
The Nintendo Wii is just part of the program. The students will teach them how to use email but will also interview the seniors to learn about life experiences. It's a learning tool for both the kids and the adults.
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