If you have any form of social media (which if you’re reading this you most likely do), I’m sure you have heard of the new game called “Pokémon Go.” I was never a Pokémon fan growing up, so the fact that this app even interested me is a good sign.
For those of you wondering what Pokémon Go even is, it’s a cell phone app that uses a GPS server to map where you are. The way you find and capture the Pokémon is by actually getting up and walking! The more you walk, the more Pokémon you are likely to catch. There are buildings, monuments, or structures around most towns that are called “Pokéstops,” which when you spin them you get free things that help you in the game. There are other places called “gyms” where your Pokémon can battle against each other in order to take over the specific gym. When a Pokémon pops up on your screen and you click on it, your camera will pop up allowing you to see the animated Pokémon in real time through the lens of your cell phone camera. As creepy as it may be, it’s totally awesome, and is captivating the nation.
As I drive downtown to run errands or go to and from work, I see groups of people gathered around random places throughout town and I can’t help but laugh to myself. Granted, I have the Pokémon Go app so I know what they’re doing and why they’re herding in that particular spot (because there’s ALWAYS a lure in the same place every single day), but I have to admit it’s amusing. The people playing this game, ranging from middle schoolers to full grown adults, are walking around, stopping here and there, swiping up on their phone to catch the Pokémon, and giving knowing looks and smiles to others as they pass by. It’s probably the coolest thing that’s happened to my small town in a very long time.
The Pokémon Go app literally forces people to get up and move which is why parents are raving about this particular game. Not only are their kids up moving around and going on walks (you have to walk so many kilometers before your egg with a new Pokémon can hatch!), but they’re making new friends in the process! Every time my friends and I go to catch Pokémon we meet someone new, even if it’s just sharing a giggle because we know we look ridiculous but we don’t care!
My favorite thing about this new app is that no matter where I go or where I’m at, there is always someone talking about it. My family and I went out for dinner a couple nights ago and every so often we would hear someone mention the app, talk about which Pokémon they’ve captured, then spend ten minutes explaining to a non-player what the game is and how you play it. This happens wherever I’m at! The store, movies, restaurants, even at my workplace!
Whether the Pokémon game is just a phase or it’s here for the long run, one thing remains true: this is the first app to not only engage all ages but that appeals to both lifelong and bandwagon Pokémon fans (like me). In my opinion, the timing of its release couldn’t have been more perfect. It’s not just an app that’s popular among a few people; it’s something positive amidst the horrific events currently going on in this world.
