You would never guess a 47-year-old wildlife rehabilitator would be interested in Pokemon Go. My husband is several years younger than I am and when he and some of our volunteers started playing the game, I was the first to make fun of them. It seemed ridiculous that anyone would drive to locations to walk around capturing cartoon creatures on a GPS system. As if we don't have to capture enough REAL critters in our daily life!

When my husband's 7-year-old son showed interest in the game, I realized this could be a family opportunity to spend some quality time together, out of the house. I (begrudgingly) loaded the game on my phone, and began to teach myself how to play. I played it all wrong, and wasted many opportunities to advance my game, but eventually I got the hang of things and figured out how to advance faster, create stronger Pokemon for battle and (unwittingly) became a Pokemon authority.

Soon we were all in the car, driving or walking from hot spot to hot spot, collecting pocket monsters and having a blast, and it wasn't long before the Pokemon addiction was well set in.
What began as "quality family time" soon turned into a mission. I was hooked. We had selected Team Valor (you get to pick one of three teams) and it wasn't long before we had matching Team Valor tee shirts and a team logo on our car. The boys were into it and I could no longer blame them for my interest in the game. I was passing levels at record speed and evolving my Pokemon daily. Soon we were battling opposing teams in local "gyms". Gyms are randomly placed on the GPS system. You can enter a gym, battle the Pokemon assigned by other players to guard the gym and take it over winning it for your team! My husband and I go on what we call "Poke-dates" and literally "Paint the town red", our team's color.
What can you make of it?

Yes, the game can be viewed as a HUGE time waster. The reality is that you will spend countless hours, on a make believe mission to build a make believe army of monsters to battle other make believe monsters and become king of a make believe world. You can certainly look at it that way and be absolutely correct. That was my initial reaction to the game. However, we have made it much more than that. Our Poke-dates REPLACE our typical date nights. Instead of dining out and going shopping or to a movie, we drive to hot spots and enjoy nature. Instead of ignoring total strangers, we have conversations like "Hey there's an Abra back there!" "Awesome thanks! Team Valor?" "Yeah! Go team Valor!" "Happy hunting!" "Same to you!" Suddenly a total stranger is a friend and team mate.

Ive walked miles on a nature trail I had never seen before. Ive laughed and joked with my husband as we cheered each other on for reaching our game goals. We have something to do with a seven year old boy that he is always up for and it is always available and costs only time and fuel.

Is Pokemon Go taking over the world's youth? Maybe so, but having experienced the game for myself, I can't see it as more problematic than beneficial. I see kids out WALKING and biking every day now along the hot spots and Poke Stop areas. I see groups of youth gathered at Poke Stops, lure set, capturing their creatures and enjoying each other's company, cheering on their friends. I see parents and grandparents out at the lake with the kids, walking the trails, catching their Pokemon, even grandpa on his phone excited to play along. (I literally broke into tears one day watching a grandpa run up to his grandchildren showing them his latest capture with the enthusiasm of a child. It was priceless!)

Sure there are problems. With any new fad there are those who ruin it for the rest of us by using it to take advantage or prey upon others, but for the most part, the game is doing something that no product has been able to do since the first video games hit the market decades ago, destroying our youth's sense of outdoor curiosity. With our children always glued to their phones anyway, now they are glued to their phones OUTSIDE and on an adventure! Who cares about the means, so long as the result is beneficial.

You can't text and play at the same time. The game has now been modified to make it safer so the compass doesn't lead players into traffic or trespass, and the game can be played successfully for free.

I will never forget when my husband and I were walking downtown and discovered a Poke Stop in one of my favorite stores. I told the owner who is a precious elderly lady; "Did you know you were a Poke stop? Its a place where people playing Pokemon Go can stop in and get free prizes!" Her jaw dropped, "Oh my! I don't have anything to give them!" It took awhile to explain, and I don't think she ever completely understood, but she did grasp that the prizes were imaginary and completely out of her control and obligation.

Parents, you have an opportunity here. If your kids are players, download the game, find a local hot spot and go down in your child's history as the coolest parent ever for taking them on a hunt, and stopping by the gyms on the way home to take them over 'as a family'. It can be a reward at the end of the school week for accomplishing educational goals, or future motivation for whatever they need to work on. It is truly, whatever you make of it, and making it a way to connect to your children is never a bad thing.

HAPPY HUNTING!