Ever since its release in early July, the game of Pokémon Go has taken the world by storm reaching number one in the iTunes app store as well as the Android Market. In this augmented reality game, the goal is to "catch" as many Pokémon as the player can and to register all 136 Pokémon to the users "Pokédex" or, in other words, bank of information on the various Pokémon. The player can then gain experience and level up. Once reaching level 5, the player can then join one of the three teams (Instinct, Valor, or Mystic) and fight opposing teams in various gyms or train their Pokémon at a gym that is the same team as the player. Even though the vast majority is playing this game, there are still people who are skeptical and think the game is a waste of time. The following is a list of 6 reasons why a person should play Pokémon Go.

1. Physical activity.

First and foremost, the first benefit is quite obvious. This mobile app encourages the player to get up and out of the house since the digital avatars cannot be "caught" by sitting around; the player must search and hunt for their desired Pokémon. The game also encourages activity through the "egg hatching" feature which allows the user to hatch eggs and obtain Pokémon according to the corresponding distance the player must walk which is described under the egg.

2. Improves Mental Health

Since the game requires the player to go outside and be on the move, the game also improves mental health. In multiple studies, it has been shown that physical activity helps improve with anxiety and depression.

3. The social aspect

Due to the "Pokéstop" feature in the game, players often gather in one spot in order to catch Pokémon or gain items from these stops. Players often meet each other and talk in great lengths about the game which lead people to make new friends.

4. Explore surroundings

Because the players are walking around, they are often exploring new areas they otherwise would have not thought to explore on their own. People are finding new biking paths and walking trails they never realized were around the corner, finding new eateries around town, discovering new parks, and so much more.

5. It's educational

As previously mentioned, a very important aspect to the game is Pokéstops. This is a location where the user of the game can gather a small amount of items such as more Pokéballs or eggs. Once you click on a Pokéstops, a screen appears with a token in the middle paired with the name of the location and a small blurb of information. The small paragraph gives a little backstory of the location and why it is significant whether it be historically important or just a fun fact.

6. Accessible last-minute activity

Lastly, this app is a very good last minute activity whether it's by yourself or you're with someone since it is so accessible and easy to use. This game is great for making a boring Saturday afternoon into a great adventure for you, your family, or your significant other.