Pokémon Go? Have you heard of this new app? Probably. This new app reigns as the number one most-downloaded, free app in the App store. Chances are, that man or woman walking down the street on his or her phone is catching Pokémon in the virtual Pokémon app world. They are literally staring at their phone, capturing nonexistent creatures. What has this society developed into?
According to the official Pokémon website, “Pokémon was launched in Japan in 1996.” As a child born in 1998, I remember begging my mother to buy Pokémon trading cards, collecting them, trading them with friends, playing the Nintendo GameBoy Pokémon games, and watching the Pokémon TV series. I still have a huge Pikachu stuffed animal in my closet at home. But why is this game so popular? Are these gamers experiencing nostalgia for their childhood?
Despite my childhood love for Pokémon, I will not download Pokémon Go and join society’s obsession with this new game. Pokémon Go forces the gamer to walk around to capture the virtual creatures. Many users have argued that this app encourages exercise, which definitely is a benefit of having this app, especially with the growing obesity trend in America. The problem arises when gamers glue their eyes to their phone screens and neglect to stay aware of their surroundings. With a mom who constantly listens to the radio for news, I have heard the numerous dangerous accidents and situations Pokémon Go has caused. Toronto, Canada–based YouTube account, Noodle Boys, uploaded a video that displays the dangers that come along with playing this new game. In this video, the man is playing the game on his phone without lifting his eyes up to observe his surroundings. He is too fixated on the digital screen, walking into a pole, a wall, trashcans, and a door. Those scenarios are not even the most severe situations. He even walks on subway tracks, across a road with cars bustling by, and over a ledge into a body of water, all in attempts to “catch them all.” Although some may argue that this video only highlights what could possibly happen to users, several real life accidents have already occurred.
These gamers are living in a virtual world! Recently, in a FoxNews report, a Pokémon Go user in Baltimore, Maryland crashed into a patrol car. The incident was caught on video and the Baltimore Police Twitter account tweeted a cautionary warning for all Pokémon Go users. Another report, from USA Today, details a car-driver in Auburn, New York veering from the road and crashing into a tree, all while engaged in catching Pokémon.
Albert Einstein supposedly once said, “’I fear the day that technology will surpass human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots.” Pokémon Go is encouraging users to stay on their phone for hours, distancing them from reality. A word of advice: put down the phone, go outside, enjoy the sunlight, and get some actual exercise.
