Amid a digital age, young people are increasingly seeking in-person intellectual activities like chess and quiz clubs to foster social ties and cognitive development, moving away from endless screen time, according to Moscow-based commentary and recent research.
Young people’s growing interest in intellectual games is not just about sharpening the mind. It is also about belonging, status and a deliberate move away from endless scrolling, according to the Moscow-based commentary in Vechernyaya Moskva. Psychologist Mikhail Solovyov argues that such games help players make sense of the world and feel more secure, but says the stronger pull is social: younger people want contact with older generations and an activity that bridges age groups. The article also notes that digital versions make it easy to play on a smartphone, yet many players are increasingly seeking out clubs and meet-ups in person.
That shift fits a broader picture of how young people use games. A 2024 Pew Research Centre survey found that 85% of U.S. teens play video games and 41% do so daily, with young people describing both benefits such as problem-solving and social connection and downsides including harassment and sleep disruption. Earlier Pew research in 2008 found that nearly all American teens played some kind of game and that gaming often involved social interaction as much as competition. In other words, games have long been more than a private pastime; they are also a way for young people to connect.
The psychology of intellectual games is more complicated than the popular image suggests. Solovyov says quizzes may be better at testing stored knowledge than at building original thinking, while psychologists quoted by Vechernyaya Moskva caution against assuming chess automatically raises general intelligence. The effect, they argue, depends on how the game is played: a reflective, social format may support self-regulation and mental activity, while frantic or repetitive play can fuel anxiety, dependence and frustration when results go badly.
That nuance helps explain the revival of offline clubs around games such as chess, quiz contests and mahjong. Harvard Graduate School of Education has argued that play remains important for cognitive development, especially when it is social and unstructured rather than confined to screens. In the Moscow article, Alina Doronina, who captains a youth team in “What? Where? When?”, says young people are tired of empty online content and want concentration, live discussion and a clearer sense of achievement. Alexandra Polyanskaya, who runs an Asian culture club, says many visitors are simply looking for a hobby that gets them out of the house and into a community. The result is a renewed status for being informed, attentive and able to think under pressure, with the oldest logic of games now finding new life in the digital age.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
