These Geriatric Gamers Will Pwn You

On the Internet, age may just be a number, but the bias is usually for the low numbers.

After all, a Pro Publica/ Mother Jones study recently showed rampant ageism at IBM. And 92% of workers report some form of ageism in their workplace.

But these geriatric gamers are looking to break the mold.  Are you ready for the future of old age?

Last month, Bethesda Games decided to honor Shirley Curry, the so-called “Skyrim Grandma” by making her an NPC in the upcoming Elder Scrolls 6.

If you’ve never heard of Shirley Curry, you might be getting old.  She’s currently on Twitch, Instagram, and  YouTube with over 600K subscribers.She begins each session with “Hello Grandkids”  and brings a calm, reflective energy to the chaotic gaming world.

Recently her fans decided to get Bethesda to pay homage to this hip lady.

The decision to include Curry apparently came about after a petition her fans started to add her to the game made the rounds, amassing a good amount of signatures and attracting Bethesda’s attention.

In fact, a recent documentary was made about Shirley.  The attraction?  Probably because gaming is  one of the best ways to fight aging, improve reflexes, memory, and spatial skills. Moreover, participating in an online community is a great way to combat the isolation and loneliness common with older Americans.

Some of these seniors have even found sponsorship.  Consider the “Silver Snipers” a competitive Counter Strike: Global Offensive team. Not only are they selling Lenovo gear, they’re offering exercise videos, and maintaining a Facebook page with 1500 members.

The goal is to make sure that age–no matter how high or low– is just another number on the internet.