I was sitting at my desk for my internship and what did I see outside the window? I saw several large groups of people walking around the lawn of the State Capitol with their noses in their phones. Were they looking for cell phone service? No. What was this perplexing sight? It was my first experience with the new phenomenon, Pokémon Go.
For those of you who have somehow managed to not hear about Pokémon Go, here is a quick summary. It is the newest Pokémon game that users play from their phones. That isn’t what is gaining all of the attention though. It is the ability to find Pokémon in our own world, instead of just a digital one. The game uses location services and GPS to insert Pokémon in and around areas where cell phone use is popular.
So to get the Pokémon, you must physically walk around to different locations. Once you are within catching distance, your camera is used to show the Pokémon as if it is right in front of you. The more you walk, the better you do in the game or the more prizes you can win.
This is my very little understanding of Pokémon Go. I have friends who are really in to it. I choose to not play because I will either not know how to use it and find it a waste of time, or become absolutely addicted and still waste all of my time.
People are absolutely obsessed with this game. And that’s not totally a bad thing. This is encouraging many people to spend time outside and it encourages physical activity. Without walking, you can’t find new Pokémon or unlock certain prizes.
It isn’t just players that are embracing this game. Towns and universities are creating Poke maps that show gyms and suggested routes. Hillary Clinton even used it to encourage millennials to go out and register to vote. “Pokémon Go to the Polls.”
However with every new fad, there is room for concern. The first issue that has arisen is for those who choose to Pokémon Go and drive. Obviously, this sounds very dangerous. But when people are competitive, they choose to take risks to reach goals more quickly. If they are driving, they can get to the Pokémon quicker. No, just no. If you are not going to walk as the game is intended, please have someone drive you, so you don’t put yourself and everyone else at risk.
The second issue is that Pokémon Go doesn’t have sanctions for where the Pokémon are located. This means people can go hunting for Pokémon anywhere. This has already led to controversies with people finding Pokémon at museums, such as the Holocaust Memorial and Arlington Cemetery. These are not places where people should be on their phones, but the app should go the step further by removing Pokémon from those areas out of respect.
Pokémon Go is still new and will continue to evolve. It has been the center of many news stories for the last week. With each situation that occurs, I’m sure the developers will make improvements. As for me, I will continue to slightly judge and envy people from my office window.
