The first of July, 2016 was a big day for millennials as Pokémon GO was released on the Ap store. I was super excited to see how my favorite Pokémon would come to life in 2016, like every “90s kid” was.
For the first few days, I was a bit disappointed with the lack of Pokémon lurking in the streets of small town Clinton, North Carolina; however, after a quick trip to Washington, DC, I was ecstatic with the number of Pokémon I had caught and was on my way to a gym until I decided to check my data for the month. I had already gone over my allotted amount and it was only the 7th!! Relatable memes soon followed this revelation and I became aware that I was not alone in my struggles. I even saw a T Mobil commercial advertising an unlimited data plan solely for playing Pokémon GO!
The concept of the game involves walking around the real streets with your eyes on your phone looking for Pokémon in the virtual streets. This sounds like a great way to get kids out of the house and exercising; however, even with the frequent reminder telling users to “be aware of your surroundings,” I have witnessed and experienced many bumping into other people and objects as well as getting lost in unknown territory.
Even though there are some obvious negative effects from playing Nintendo’s new game, I am still a huge fan and can’t wait to get back on the streets next month. It is easy to spot another Pokémon trainer from far away making the game a great way to meet other players ranging from middle schoolers to adults (my mom downloaded it!). Pokémon GO has created adventures and is a great outlet for bored students in the summer.
