My friends play it, my cousins play it, my brothers play it and even my mother plays the game. They cannot take their eyes off the screen. Before this game came out, my cousins’ parents would have to force them to go outside for even five minutes. Now, they can’t keep them inside. Their explanation? “Gotta catch ‘em all”.
The Pokémon Go craze is sweeping the nation. Practically everyone you know is on it or knows other people who are. People are opting to walk or ride a bike rather than drive in order to catch Pokémon and hatch eggs. More people are going to parks or forest preserves due to the presence of pokestops, which are actual locations where Pokémon trainers can collect items such as pokeballs and potions which provide health to Pokémon. Others are finding out more about the world we live in. There are amazing people all around and this game serves as a digital string to tie us together.
Now, while stumbling upon Pokémon is an enjoyable experience, stumbling upon other situations due to the game may not feel so favorable to the player. So far, there have been three instances where individuals playing the game have stumbled upon a dead body. One body was found in Wyoming and another in New Hempshire, while the other was found just recently in California. There are also people out there committing crimes and armed robberies by luring unsuspecting trainers to pokestops. The people committing these crimes are the bad apples of an otherwise good, friendly bunch.
Life is full of unexpected situations. If you follow the warning when you open the game to be aware of your surroundings, you should be fine. We live in an amazing world where this kind of technology is possible. This is the type of thing many of us dreamed about as kids: going on adventures, exploring the world, catching wild Pokémon. We are once again reminded of a time when things were easier, of our ten-year-old selves, and this relaxes and thrills us simultaneously.
This game allows us to feel a sense of community, whether it be with other fellow players or specifically with members of your own team. It encourages exercise and friendly competition. People help each other find certain Pokémon. Rather than an addiction where you are isolated and being unhealthy, this is finally a game that makes you go outside and be social-- things we need to do in order to have good physical, social, emotional, and mental health.
Right now, this is one of the most used apps. People spend more time on it than snapchat and Facebook. Will this trend continue or is it just a fad? Only time can tell, but it’s safe to say that all of us want to be the very best (that no one ever was).
