We have to catch them all! Or, at least that’s the mindset that everyone has at the moment. If you have a phone, then more likely than not you’re playing "Pokémon Go." The new game that has taken the attention of those not only young, but those from an older generation, as well. The concept of the game has stayed the way it has been for many years: You set out and become the best Pokémon trainer there ever was. Traveling the world around you, catching one pocket-sized monster at a time. However, this game comes with a little twist: Instead of staring at a screen sitting down on your couch, you get to stare at your screen while actually walking. The game uses your phone's GPS location services to pinpoint where you are and, based on your location, you can find not only Pokémon, but PokéStops to gather items such as potions, Poké Balls and eggs, as well as gyms you can take over for the team that you join during the course of the game. Roger Cheng, executive editor for CNET News, gives us some stats about how popular the game has gotten shortly after its current release: “Pokémon Go, released last week, is already a cultural phenomenon. It has garnered more users than Tinderand is closing in on Twitter. Its success added $7.5 billion to previously irrelevant Nintendo's market valuein just two days. Heck, even the decades-old Pokémon theme now dominates Spotify,” Cheng writes. This game is huge! So since playing it, I have seen some major benefits, as well as some hazards, that can come from this popular game.

The word obsessed didn’t even come close to how much I loved this virtual world when I was younger. Although I do not have the same obsession I do now that I did when I was younger, this game brings out the inner kid for those who are playing it. This game is giving those that dream they had of being a Pokémon trainer to life. One of the many personal benefits that has come because of this game. Another thing I have personally seen that has come from this game is that I am hanging out with those who are close to me while forming new relationships solely based off of this game. Usually when walking down the street, I tend to stay quiet. However, due to this game, I am interacting with those whom I thought I’d never associate with. So while I’m hunting down that wild Goldeen that’s nearby, I’m also making new friends. It’s a win-win situation. While making new friends, this game is allowing individuals to explore new territory within their own city. To catch Pokémon, you use Poké Balls, which you can get when you visit PokéStops. PokéStops just happen to include many landmarks and historical markers, including those hidden ones in your own neighborhood. Just yesterday, I ventured to historic Downtown Frederick with two of my good friends. Every PokéStop I came along usually had a plaque on it with some type of historical fact about that certain area and why it was significant to the city. So while exploring your city, this game also provides educational benefits as well. While the game has been out for about a week or so, within that small frame of time, studies have found that this game has helped those suffering from certain mental health issues i.e. depression and anxiety disorders.

John M. Grohol wrote on his site, PsychCentral, about the positive effect of exercise for people with depression, who have the hardest times motivating themselves to be active: “For a person suffering from depression or another mood disorder, the idea of exercise can be nearly impossible to contemplate, much less do,” he wrote. "For someone suffering from social anxiety, the idea of going outside and possibly bumping into others that may want to talk to you is daunting." Don’t want to take his word for it? See what individuals suffering from these kinds of disorders are saying! For confidentiality purposes I will not uses their names or Twitter handles in their quotes. However, statements such as, “Tbh Pokémon Go has worked wonders for my depression. The hardest part of a day is leaving bed, but when you see that Eevee outside, it's easy.” And “Real talk - as someone with anxiety/depression, the fact that I've spent most of this weekend outside with friends is unreal. #PokemonGo” show the major benefits that come from this game.

Now, on to the section that the parents have been lecturing their children about when it comes to this game. The not-so-beneficial factors that come with this game. Now while this game allows you to wonder around your city, you are doing it mindlessly...as in you are mainly paying attention to your virtual reality, not the real one that you should be paying attention to. While there have been reports of those tripping, falling and stumbling over items while tracking down these little pocket monsters, there are also reports of someone literally walking across a major highway causing an accident because he wanted to catch a Pikachu! CartelPress.com: “26-year-old Lamar Hickson is accused of causing one of the worst highway accidents after stopping in the middle of the highway to catch a Pikachu. Lamar Hickson admitted to police that he was playing the newly released Pokémon app game known as 'Pokémon Go' while driving. He said, 'Sh*t, if you wanna catch them all, you gotta risk it all, so I put my car in park and started tossing these balls.'" Luckily no one was seriously hurt in this accident, but as many can assume this causes fear and concern about future accidents. With this, the concern with those driving while playing the game comes to mind, as well. We need to remember that this is just a game. Nothing more, nothing less. Your life and the life of others are not worth that Charmander that’s across the street. It can wait.

So, although I play the game (more than I should...), I do not have a biased opinion. I do see the benefits and the contributions the game and the creators have done for society, but I also see the risk that come with this game, as well. So my message to the public is to keep calm and Pokémon on — responsibly.