Story time. Some friends and I met a stranger in a Pizza Hut parking lot the day after Pokémon GO came out. We dropped our pizzas and found each other searching for a Seel. We had no idea who this person was, but we all worked together to find this little Pokémon creature in the parking lot, the field next to the parking lot, and at one point the guy was all the way across the street looking for the thing. It was so dangerous! What if this guy was a predator? We can't trust anyone. We should just shut ourselves out from the rest of the world.
Can you sense the sarcasm? Because it was actually hilarious. And more importantly, it was a fun, innocent bonding experience.
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These are the types of experiences we should be having with the people around us. This is how we make friends. All over a silly little game, people are connecting and exploring. It's great. So why do so many people seem to have a problem with it?
Over the past few weeks, thousands of people all over the globe have been participating in a brand new game called Pokémon GO.
For those of you who do not know what the game is, it is a mobile app which uses the location feature to allow its users to walk around and collect fictional creatures from the popular video games and television series known as Pokémon.
Since the game has come out, several articles and news reports have been circulating advertising the dangers of the game. A couple I have seen involve children walking into traffic to catch a Pokémon, people playing the game while driving and causing car accidents, and lots of trespassing.
I'm not saying I haven't done any of those things, because let's be real. I'm also not saying those issues don't need to be addressed, because they are definitely serious and damaging.
However, they are causing a complete deterrence of the game. Specifically from the people who don't play it, and as a result, the benefits of the game are being completely ignored.
I have heard people spew nasty comments at me just because they see me playing, and that's when I'm not walking into traffic. Actually I'm completely out of their way, respectfully minding my own business trying to catch my hundredth Weedle. So, um, their comments were pretty rude and uncalled for. As much as I would like to chalk it up to their jealousy of my training skills, that's not the case. It's because of what the media is making it out to be.
I'm sorry, but no matter how popular anything has been over the past 15 years, it hasn't gotten any of us to go outside. Not even Pokémon. Neither the games nor the TV shows really got its fans to see the outdoors through anything but a screen.
My parents were so afraid of me getting kidnapped that I was too afraid of getting kidnapped. By the time I realized those chances were pretty slim, I had a fear of physical activity and hot weather.
Regardless of why we haven't been going outside, it's a problem, but over the past couple weeks, everyone is suddenly out exploring. Sure, we might be staring at our phone screens, but when we look up, wow. There's an entire world there.
I personally have been to several parks in my community since the game's premiere. I've been to historical sites in my town, and even surrounding towns. Honestly, places that I knew existed but never had the motivation to explore. I have spent quality time with the people that I love. And I'm pretty sure I've improved my memorization skills.
People with anxiety, depression, even agoraphobia have stepped outside to play the game. It's incredible. Possibly even a miracle.
It's obviously such a scary game. I don't know what I'm going to do with my heightened mental processing skills and newfound interest in nature. Send help.
In all seriousness, look both ways before you catch your Bulbasaur, but keep playing. And parents, or whoever is trying to get kids to put their phones down, please stop. Instead, encourage them. Go play with them. Have some fun, and catch 'em all.
