The word 'gamer' might make you think of teens in darkened bedrooms. In reality, over 60% of all American gamers are adults, and the average gamer is a 30-year-old with a job and family. But why do we play games beyond childhood? And is the way we play as adults any different?

"Rule the red carpet!" "Take over LA!" "Date and dump celebrities!" These activities form the narrative of Kim Kardashian's smartphone game Kim Kardashian: Hollywood. It's part of an emerging genre of adventure gaming where no skill or attention is required in order to succeed.

Parents may regularly complain about their kids wasting time on video games when they should be studying, but new research from Australia has found that some gaming could actually promote higher academic achievement – especially when compared to social media.

Music, film and publishing are all part of our digital lives, but the art world remains stubbornly offline. Electric Objects, a digital frame that displays “the most beautiful parts of the internet”, wants to make hanging a GIF on your wall as instinctive as downloading a film.