Bingo Boosts Your Brain
Everyone knows that
online bingo is a lot of fun and a great way to make friends. But did you know that playing bingo is also good for your brain? The latest scientific research shows that playing bingo can keep your brain young and agile.
Bingo Players' Brains Work Better
The research was conducted by Julie Winstone of the Department of Psychology at the University of Southampton. She studied two age groups: young people, aged 18-40, and older people, aged 60-82. Half of the subjects in each age group were bingo players, and half were not. She gave all the subjects tests that measured such things as mental speed, concentration, memory, and the ability to process information.
In both age groups, the bingo players' mental functioning was both faster and more accurate than that of the non-bingo players. And in some areas, the older bingo players even out-performed the
younger bingo players.
Playing Bingo Is Good Mental Exercise
Ms Winstone attributed the results to the skills required to play bingo. When a bingo number is called, the bingo player has only two seconds before the next number is called. During those two seconds, the player must check all her cards — the average bingo player usually plays about six
bingo cards at a time — and quickly and accurately mark the numbers. As Ms. Winstone explained: "The type of visual search carried out by bingo players is not a simple one. Searching for a target amongst other similar distracters requires effortful processing." And, she added, "In bingo it is very important not to miss a number, and you have to sustain your attention sometimes for several hours."
Scientists who have reviewed Ms. Winstone's data hypothesize that just as physical exercise makes the muscles strong and agile, playing bingo is a form of mental exercise that makes the brain strong and agile, even in old age.
The Benefits of Chatting in the Bingo Hall
Another factor that comes into play is the social aspect of bingo. It is well known that social isolation can lead to depression, and that depression can lead to a decline in mental functioning. Therefore, according to this theory, the very fact of being in the
bingo hall and interacting with other people — apart from the
bingo game itself —can keep the brain sharp and prevent the mental decline that is often associated with aging.
Another Good Reason to Love Bingo
You already had plenty of good reasons to love the game of bingo. Now you have another one: bingo makes you smarter. So if anyone asks why you play bingo, you can just say: "Doctor's orders." So
play bingo regularly, and keep your brain working the way it should.
