For the past two weeks, my timeline has been filled with the new and entertaining Pokémon Go game. Pictures of Pokémon walking our streets have created an uncontrolled chaos in society, and I have all but begged myself not to download the game.
It’s a losing battle.
How can people draw the line between reality and fantasy? When they pull up to a stop sign, do they see a warning sign or an opportunity? Could there be a Charizard sitting on top the flashing red octagon? Could a sudden Pikachu appear near the produce section at the local grocery store? Will the person next to you capture a Eevee while you berate yourself for buying a phone with poor internet service?
There are both pros and cons to playing Pokémon Go, but while I cannot dispute the cons to playing this virtual reality game, I will provide the pros to its creation. In 24 hours, the game took the world for a run. People left their houses and explored the hidden treasures in their world. In 24 hours, my news feed was filled with pictures of Pokémon roaming our streets instead of presidential nominees arguing with each other.
The world of Pokémon is endless, thrilling and an absolute break from reality. Of course, there are those sudden moments when the site breaks down during an epic Pokémon catch, but you live with the disappointment. Why? Because the past is so addicting. The past has created a world that we could only watch and role-play on gaming systems. Now, we are the trainers. We are in this world with Pokémon. They are everywhere. Whether by water, land or other numerous environments, Pokémon have captured our attention and social media sites.
Three weeks ago, my timeline was filled with the 2016 Election. Controversies, arguments, moving stories and new information have littered my life and the lives of others for months. Now, I can see the shift. While real-life stories and posts are still filtering my Facebook and Twitter feeds, I can feel this breath of relief. We are focusing away and taking a break from reality.
As a fiction writer, I can understand the need to bury myself in a good book when life gets hard. I can picture myself as another person living another life. We can call these Pokémon Go players addicts, but I see them as a really good book distracting me from life.
As I say distractions, I do not mean we forget the tragedies and problems that are facing our world today. I mean we can pause, refocus and breathe before returning to the problems at hand. Let the Pokémon reign continue; let them run free and catch ‘em all. I do not need to play the game to experience and enjoy its creation. I merely skim through social media and see who is closest to catching them all.
**Caution to the players: Please continue to catch as many Pokémon as your heart desires, but remember to use caution and stay safe!
