Growing up, whenever I had a nightmare, I was told I could go watch something on TV until I felt better and could sleep again. Probably would have been less scary if I didn’t have to quietly creek down the stairs to the dark living room, but cartoons were cartoons, and anytime I got to watch them was a privilege.

When we first moved into my grandmother’s house, I was really excited to have a television in my room. If I had a bad dream, I could just get out of bed and turn it on until I felt better, and I usually got to watch a show or two before bed. Just before my bedtime every night, I settled into bed and watched Pokemon until the sandman visited and tucked me into bed. It became my nightly ritual, and soon the show began to take over my barney and Scooby-Doo obsession. I begged for the trading cards, fought for the Pokemon pillows over the barbie ones I had once had, and when I got my first Game Boy, I played it every chance I got.

I’ve played every game since then and even if I wasn’t the best at them, I still had a lot of fun playing them. I would even reset games just to play it all over again. I loved these games, and they got me through a lot of long car rides, and boring days in the house when I couldn’t go outside. So obviously, when the new Pokemon game came out on mobile phones, I was nothing short of ecstatic. Millions of others shared the same feeling as I did when they were impatiently waiting for the app to download, and caught their starter, chose their teams and started to try and catch em’ all. In the midst of a hateful world, people were getting away from some very rude presidential candidates, riots and protests and finally having a little fun.

Many people have even declared that the app helped them do things they wouldn’t even dream of doing before. People who don’t normally go outside finally worked the courage up to brave the sun and throw some Pokeballs. Under-active individuals took some steps towards a healthier lifestyle, dogs go more walks, and even I went on an impromptu date to Target with my boyfriend so we could catch a Jigglypuff. People with anxiety are going as far to say it’s helping them to be more social, and leave the house more (including m!).

I usually don’t leave the house unless I have to, keeping interaction at a minimum at all costs. But, recently, I’ve been going on more walks (especially with my dog) to catch Pokemon, and talk to people at crowded Pokestops. I’ve been able to confidently talk about where to find Bulbasaur, and ask strangers where to find Squirtle. It’s been getting easier for me with each new encounter, and I’m finally starting to have fun being around people (whereas I used to prefer to avoid people, and only sit outside to read a book with my dog on the front lawn). My mom even downloaded it and takes me on car rides to find new Pokestops; we have a lot more fun than we do watching some sitcom or reality show about dating. I’m pretty sure I’ve also lost at least five pounds with all the walking I’ve been doing, so that’s always a plus.

In addition, a lot of restaurants are offering discounts for players, and some animal rescues are letting people basically rent dogs to walk while they play games. As a result, so many more dogs are getting adopted, and going to their forever homes! There are even other apps to download that donate money to organizations just for walking (one of the main things you need to do to play the game)!

Too many people are criticizing people for playing a ‘children's game,' but honestly, those people just need to let others have fun. The game is helping so many people cope with other problems, and the last thing we need from others is hate; there’s enough hate in the world already, let people have fun!