Something has captured the attention, time and maybe even the very heart of the world in little over a week. This is no other than, Pokémon Go, an app created by the development company Niantic. You probably have at least heard whisperings of this new development. That is unless you happen to live in a very isolated area, free from the droves of kids searching for Pokémon, or if you just happen to be older than 25. For those who don’t know what Pokemon Go is, it is a game that integrates the Pokemon universe with the physical world using the power of electronics moguls Google and Apple. It does this by leaving little Pokémon monsters strewn across the earth for players to find, capture, evolve, and then to fight with. The Pokémon can be used to battle for the possession of “Gyms” strategically placed around the world to gain notoriety, and level up to be able to capture more advanced Pokémon. When you find Pokemon in close proximity to you, you can press on it which then uses your device's camera to see the digital Pokemon in the real world. After you carefully cast your poke-ball at the creature, it is yours… well, in the game that is. I never watched or played Pokémon as a kid (Ben 10 was my jam), but I know I would’ve loved the wonder of it all. I am sure that every kid who was around Pokemon always dreamt of being able to find Pokémon, and this game might just be the fulfillment of that dream… or might possibly cause more harm than productive fun?

Pros and Cons of Pokemon Go from my observations (I was always advised to make a list of pros and cons when trying to make a decision about something, so here we go)

PROS BRO:

Sunshine intake//

In order to find Pokemon of various elements such as fire, water, and ice you have to go to corresponding places with those conditions. Meaning that a water Pokemon is going to be in a place with a water source nearby, or a fire Pokemon might be in a barren place with few trees. This movement forces the player to actually travel to those various locations. Another way the app encourages movement, is through the “Pokestops”, where you can collect more pokeballs and other resources. They also have Gyms where you can battle other players. Both the Pokestops and Gyms are static and do not move, so players are forced to get out in the sunshine if you just “Gotta catch em all”.

It seems to integrate our world//

We live in a world of increasing connectivity and globalization, and Pokemon Go feeds right into the moving times by encouraging interaction with the world around you. All of a sudden the satisfaction and reward of playing a game aren't restrained to a console, but can become a part of your day to day. The increased usage of social media can often point to the increased feeling there being a disconnect between how many “followers” we have on our various social media outlets, and still feeling a deep dissatisfaction with our social lives. While Pokemon Go is not another social media platform, it does serve a similar function by bringing people together in a digitally-based world, or in this case, further into the real world

The encouragement of augmented reality//

While Pokemon Go is not considered augmented reality, it does, however, tickle the imagination to the idea that we might live in a world of complete integration with technology. No, I am not talking about having robot servants that do our bidding, to finally live out the nightmare that can be found in I-Robot. However, imagine a world where you’re at an art museum, and you instantly whip out your phone to see dates, facts, and articles displayed all over your device’s screen. That is the augmented reality I am talking about, and creations like Niantic’s change the landscape for gaming, and might cause society to give the usefulness of augmented reality more serious thought.

CONS BOMB:

A world less connected//

If you drive in almost any direction you will see groups of youth roaming the streets, just hoping to find the rarest Pokemon of them all. It might seem like a good thing that youth are being encouraged to go on “Pokemon Hunts” together, and by doing so would create a space for more human interaction. Unfortunately, from what I’ve seen from the youth mulling around, the subjects of conversation revolve around the game itself, and not the real world they seem to be engaging in. They might be more interested in the world around them, but only through the camera lens of their device.

Dangerous Pokemon found in dangerous places//

There have been reports of Pokemon Go players assaulted after they unknowingly wandered into an area that was unsafe or another report of two 20-year-olds from Anaheim who fell off a cliff after they climbed a fence in order to find Pokemon that were reported to be on the other side. Granted, since this game is so widespread most likely there are going to be some people who are “kind of like” idiots that choose to play and die for Pokemon. My main point with this is that players will assuredly be less aware of their surroundings and more focused on their device. This would then leave them as an easy target to a plethora of potentially harmful experiences//

None of it matters//

Many of you are reading this article thinking “Man, that’s great that kids are getting more exercise and we might be more inspired to push technological advancements but IT’S NOT REAL AND DOESN’T REALLY MATTER”. There is no physical gain to collecting the various types of Pokémon breeds, or to the countless hours spent fighting on your device to secure a gym. More time could potentially be wasted on this app than any other type of gaming because the possibilities are endless. Is this app just another method of helping our society cope with its lack of ability to focus, or to strive for the betterment of ourselves by challenging our ways of thinking with mediums from the past?

I confess… I downloaded the app the day it came out, and then shortly after I deleted it. A day later I downloaded it again and have been playing it since. It is a tremendous amount of fun, but I can’t decide if it’s a good thing that I have enough time to actually play the game. Not sure exactly what to think or feel at this point. It seems, however, that for the time being, Pokémon Go is here to stay.