I don't remember much about Pokemon from when I was a kid. At best, the Pokemon I could name were Meowth, Pikachu, Squirtle, Bulbasaur, and Charmander. I knew Ash, Misty, Brock, and Team Rocket. Yet I didn't exactly get the premise of the show, and I'm not sure that I do now. What I do know, is that the Pokemon Go app is exactly what my inner child needs.
The app allows me to be transported to a new reality where magic is possible – little creatures that only existed in a cartoon coming to life in a way that technology has allowed. While the news seems to be reporting on the negatives of Pokemon Go, such as people being robbed of their phones and finding corpses, there are a number of positives to playing the extremely popular game.
This app has gotten me to go outside for no reason (except that a wild Meowth was outside my bedroom, I was incubating an egg, and my real life Pokemon needed to go out for a walk). Anxiety makes it hard to do things on the fly. Going to the gym or to see a friend often involves me muttering a pep talk about why I should go. With Pokemon Go, there is an incentive to going out. I can stock up on Pokeballs, catch Pokemon, and walking around helps the eggs I get hatch.
My friends and I also get on it together and go around our neighborhood to find things. It's perfect because we get to explore the places that never seemed interesting and it's some cheap fun for us on a college budget. Instead of staying inside or wasting gas, we walk around, trying to catch things.
It also allows us to meet new people. We can easily tell when someone is playing Pokemon Go and swap stories about what has happened to us in the game. Sadly, I've had less common Pokemon with strong combat power escape my Pokeball and leave altogether, thus making me swear that we will meet again and they will be mine (talking to you, Jigglypuff). People also help others catch Pokemon and I've even seen parents toting their kids around to help them get Pokemon too. This is an app that brings people together who may not have met otherwise.
My experience has been that I now have a purpose to go outside on days I don't have work. My friends and I enjoy going to places where less common Pokemon dwell (Magnemites tend to be around electrical grids and industrial factories). I also get some exposure to the sun and get some exercise, which in itself is also beneficial. People can say what they want about the ridiculousness of this app, but I'm still out there trying to catch them all.
