Picture this: an 82-year-old grandmother, viral on Tiktok, playing Roblox. Maybe you can’t, but you should.
A year ago, Sisamon ‘Lek’ Kepwai was feeling homesick, having moved away from home in Ratchaburi to Bangkok, as her grandchildren work in the city.
Back home, she operated a family restaurant with her daughter, making coffee and cooking food. This gave her things to occupy her day, and people to talk to, from breakfast to dinner time.
But after nearly five years in Bangkok, she was still longing for the connection that the capital cannot provide.
‘Here, I saw no people, only houses,’ said the grandmother, who lives in a housing estate. ‘My daughter felt lonely too but she occupied herself selling food on Grab. I helped her sometimes.’
Grandson Pansoon ‘Por’ Sritubtim, 27, takes up the story.
‘I saw my grandma just sitting alone and watching TV. I had nothing to do as well, so I asked her to take some pictures in Gen Z style and posted them on Tiktok,’ he said, explaining the beginnings of the @leksisamon TikTok channel.
The reception was unexpected. Just a day afterward, both grandson and grandma were taken back by tens of thousands views.
Pansoon then tried to pair his grandma with something that would create even more contrast in terms of the age gap. And that is where Roblox, the beloved kids’ video game, comes in.
Suddenly, hundreds of thousands of viewers were logging on to see grandma Lek playing Roblox. Talking to children in the video game also helped her with loneliness.
‘I have someone to talk to, and our conversations are enjoyable,’ she said. ‘When I’m alone, I think about how to progress in the game and what I need to do next. It keeps me from thinking about anything else. It eases my homesickness.’
Grandma Sisamon is now be able to play Roblox casually, but for someone her age who did not grow up with computers, getting into the online world was not easy.
She picked it up gradually, first watching her grandson start the computer for her before slowly working it out herself.
‘I played a game called ’99 Nights in the Forest’ and scored more than 500 nights,’ she said proudly, ‘but it took me many hours. It was difficult.’
Now, the @leksisamon channel has reached 400,000 followers on Tiktok, with more than five million likes. The kids in the housing estate also recognise and come to see her at home after school to play games with her.
Pansoon attributes both the success of the Tiktok channel and his grandma’s gaming skill to hers mentality.
‘She is open to trying new things, because she feels like she doesn’t have much time left before she passes,’ he said. ‘She will try anything. Try first. If it doesn’t work, just stop. If it works, keep going.’
Happiness at 82
Playing Roblox is vastly different from what grandma used to play growing up – throwing marbles, rope jumping and tip-cat.
Still, she strives to balance physical activities, light walking and stretching, with gaming.
She also always reminds her grandchildren in Roblox to be disciplined about gaming.
‘Listen to parents and study hard. You can play video games, but you also need discipline. Go to bed at 9pm because you have to wake up for school,’ the grandma advised.
Happiness at 82, she said, is to see her grandchildren have a stable job and harmonious family.
Looking to the future, Pansoon said he wants to portray the more authentic side of his grandma’s life as many fans still want to see who grandma Sisamon really is.
Reflecting on this year-long journey, he said the audience’s feedback has been outstanding.
‘Apart from helping grandma with loneliness, gaming has given her experience with video games and a better understanding of younger generations,’ he said.
‘It also helps bridge the age gap. Many problems in society are caused by different generations not understanding one another. By using video games as a medium, older and younger people can better understand each other,’ he concluded.