The internet is ablaze with talk about Pokemon Go! This mobile game has swept the nation (as well as the world) and captured many of the hearts of fans. It also has tricked many people into exercising. I used to be dead set about not wanting to go anywhere on foot. In the first day of playing the game, I walked three miles. I also have walked four kilometers in two days to hatch the eggs I got from my trips to the "Pokestops." This game has changed the way I live my life, and I hope it is for the better. I have never been the type of person to go around in crowds meeting new people. Suddenly, I find myself connecting with strangers, and in the near future, trading Pokemon with said strangers. I am excited, and also terrified, about this process.

I have been a homebody for the majority of my life. Social anxiety, especially in a new setting, was something that used to hold me back. I am thankful that I downloaded this game and become a Pokemon Trainer. I have been invited to go on trips with some of my old friends from high school while they battle at local "Gyms." It is surprising how willing people are to venture out and to meet new people, or even to go out into places they have never been, to level up. I hope that by the end of the week my legs will stop being sore. I also hope that by the end of the month, I will have met interesting people and made new friends.

I love the idea of incorporating real life geography with an app. Before, playing games like Temple Run, Angry Birds or Flappy Bird were all sit-and-play games. The encouragement of exercise, even if it is subconscious, is healthy for our nation's youth as well as the adults who play the game. Many people are looking for ways to lose weight; this game is an alternative that doesn't feel like working out. All the while you're playing this game, you are also exercising your mind. The skills needed to determine the accuracy of a throw (of the Pokeballs) and the ability to tell how far away or how close a Pokemon is helps people to learn new skills. This is one of the trends that will positively benefit the health of the people playing it. Social anxiety can become less and less prominent in the people who suffer from it as they continuously play this game.

A word of caution for all players is to stay alert. There have been robberies reported that were set up by thieves who made lures to secluded Pokestops. Also, never catch Pokemon and drive. Lastly, always, always look both ways before you cross the street to catch that Pokemon!