As I sat down in a Barnes & Noble in a shopping plaza to have a study session with fellow Odyssey writer, Austin King, our phones both went off simultaneously. A notification appeared signifying that a Pokemon was somewhere near us. We immediately began our search in pursuit of Pokemon, because we had to "catch 'em all." We ended up walking around the entire shopping plaza collecting Spearows, Pidgeys, Rattatas, Weedles, and Zubats. Here's the catch: we weren't the only people wandering around the plaza in search of Pokemon. Multiple people, ages 10 to 40, seemed to be wandering in an attempt to find the Pokemon and the numerous Pokestops strategically placed around the plaza.
Pokemon Go was only released on July 6, and it has already taken over everybody's smartphones. It topped the "Top Grossing" and "Free" app sections of the Apple App Store in a mere 24 hours after its release. Teens can be seen meandering around their neighborhoods with their eyes glued to their phones (looking a bit odd, I might add) in order to find another Pokemon to add to their collection.
The fun doesn't come without a few risks, however. The Northern Territory Police, Fire, and Emergency Services created a post on Facebook saying, "It's also a good idea to look up, away from your phone and both ways before crossing the street. That Sandshrew isn't going anywhere fast."
Soon after the game's release, teen Pokemon player Shayla Wiggins found a dead body in a river while searching for Pokemon in Wyoming. Many players have injured themselves while playing the popular game. Kyrie Tompkins said, "It vibrated to let me know there was something nearby and I looked up and just fell in a hole." While tragic, it is also somewhat amusing to see people so immersed in their devices in search of Pokemon to the point where they don't see the hole in the yard, the crack in the sidewalk, or the curb that they trip on and ultimately end up hurting themselves.
It seems that the recent release of Pokemon Go has taken the last shred of common sense from Pokemon fans and smartphone users. They'll ultimately attempt to run into traffic because they saw Jigglypuff in the middle of the intersection. I, too, am at fault for looking at the screen of my phone in order to find a new Pokemon; however, if my friends and family found out that I died because I blindly crossed an intersection to catch a Pokemon, chaos would ensue.
It's possible to have fun while still maintaining your common sense. Like the Northern Territory Police Fire and Emergency Services said: "That Sandshrew isn't going anywhere fast." Stay safe and catch 'em all!
