As social media gets more and more advanced every day, coming into contact with a variety of virtual games that all age groups can play, there has been a new game development that has blown everyone away. A blast from the past attracting older generations along with the younger ones, the gamers introduced Pokémon Go this July for iOS and Android users. This game has caused a worldwide phenomenon with all ages in simply a couple days. According to US News, playing Pokémon is more popular than other social media including Twitter, Netflix, and even listening to music on Spotify or Pandora for Android users.
It has become so popular that many companies are using them as an advertising material, attracting more consumers and buyers every day. If you step into any store, it is a guarantee that there will be some sort of Pokémon merchandise on sale. As this is a benefit to advertisements and company advancements, there is still tension in other departments with this controversial game.
A conflicting issue many gamers tend to have is the lack of physical activity while playing online or mobile games. However, many medical professionals approve this specific method of gaming because it causes a positive balance of physical and mental health of the players. As with other games such as Candy Crush Saga or Mario, gaming usually requires the player to sit down with the sense of immobility, causing many health issues such as backaches, migraines and even more serious effects such as getting tendon injuries which can worsen rapidly with time. While playing Pokemon Go, the player is required to walk around and move to capture the Pokémon, which is the objective of the game. Overall, this lets the gamer increase physical activity and blood flow, reducing the physical risks of immobility.
Although even with the positive attributions, it has also been the source of controversy due to the numerous accidents and public distraction through the usage of this app. There have been incidents reported such as dangerous driving, distracted pedestrians, and even hazardous trespassing to catch these Pokémon. For instance, there was a reporting of a duo trespassing merely to catch Pokémon at the Toledo Zoo in Ohio. Occurrences like these have caused carelessness among the players with themselves and their surroundings. Even if it may only represent just a phase, it is truly impeccable the way one game can capture the attention of so many individuals pursuing after one thing. If the world could come together in this manner this efficiently with merely just a game, there is still a possibility of mending the world somehow with these recent tragedies happening.
