Pokémon Go: Good or Bad for our health?

Mega crazy frenzy has been caused all around the world since the release of the mobile game Pokémon Go, which was recently named the most downloaded phone application of 2016.

As soon as it launched, Pokémon Go managed to reawaken the imagination of all the Pokémon fans and recover the nostalgic memories of the whole 90’s generation. Within its first week of release, the game was downloaded over 10 million times on the App Store and grossed $440 million globally. It has since gathered over 30 million active users worldwide and as Apple Inc. said in a recent press release, it has become a “cultural phenomenon”.

The mobile game is based on the Japanese media franchise Pokémon – derived from Pocket Monsters – which was created in 1995 by Nintendo and Game Freak, and it urges its players to take to the streets and identify, catch and train tiny virtual creatures.

The interesting fact about Pokémon Go is that it is an “open-world” game and it is connected to the real world. By using the camera and the GPS service of the mobile phone, the game requires players to leave their homes, walk outside and chase Pokémon that can be found in different locations. The aim of the game is to battle other Pokémon trainers and catch all of the 150 Pokémon. It also enhances social interaction and encourages the community of users to meet with nearby players in public places, socialise and make new friends – a factor that makes the game different from other video games which are usually played by the user alone.

Besides the fun side of the game, Pokémon Go seems to also have a direct positive effect on human health as it increases physical activity and creates an impulse for users to ‘peel off’ from their normal static position and begin to walk considerable distances.

Yael Maxwell, Senior Associate News Editor for the TCTMD, believes that the game can offer multiple benefits to players, because “it has great potential to improve the health of people who do not exercise and lead sedentary lifestyles. There are many players who need to diet, walk more and become healthier and this game is designed to make people want to exercise.”

“It is strange, but now with Pokémon Go, we exercise more than just our thumb’s swiping skills. Only two weeks after the game was released, millions of people started jogging, walking and stampeding their way through neighbourhoods to catch the mythical creatures” added Mss Maxwell.

The American Heart Association also reported that numerous players were not familiar with the Pokémon franchise before and did not tend to exercise regularly, but since its introduction to the world, “Pokémon Go has been getting players physically moving in the real world, a change from the stereotypical stationary screen time usually associated with gaming. People get up from their sofas and walk many miles, especially in parks and green areas, so that they can find the rarest Pokémon.”

On the other hand, the game has also been quite notorious for leading its players into dangerous and remote locations, while they are trying to track down new Pokémon.

Many video game creators emphasise that great care is required when playing Pokémon Go, as there have already been several reports of accidents from players. Doctors suggest that it is very easy for users to lose their sense of environment or run in unknown places to catch Pokémon, especially during night-time. They also warn that parents are highly advised to accompany their children when they are playing Pokémon Go outside.

Michael O’Riordan, medical journalist for the Cardiovascular Research Foundation, mentions that “Pokémon Go has many pros and cons and is definitely being looked at by many health organisations at the moment, in an attempt to fight obesity, diabetes, etc. My own personal opinion about the game is mixed. It’s good to get people moving and exercising, but it’s not so great to bump up ‘screen’ time even more.”

According to Syracuse NY Local News, over 90 incidents of injuries and deaths that are associated with Pokémon Go have been reported over the last six months. Many teenagers were robbed and attacked at gunpoint when playing the game, while other users crashed their cars because they were playing and driving at the same time. Groups of players had serious bloody knife fights over game disputes and disagreements and more recently, two players declared that they were sexually assaulted by other ‘fake’ players, who pretended to play the game.

Cassandra Warrender, 21, a South-African psychology student, says that “initially the game made me go out a lot and I met many cool people at different Poké stops. Now whenever I naturally leave the house, I open the game and play. I certainly do not feel that it is distracting or dangerous at all. It’s just the equivalent of texting someone while walking. I think there have been accidents, because people acted foolishly and immaturely. It’s a game, but at the end of the day it requires a certain level of attention. It’s honestly just a fun thing to do when you are going somewhere or while you are sitting on the tube and have nothing else to do.”

Besides making headlines for accidents, the Pokémon application has been praised by many for giving a spark of awareness about historic monuments around the world, which are considered important landmarks in the game, such as the statue of Louis B. Russell – the 34^th heart transplant recipient – which is located in Dallas.

The AHA also claimed that “it is very important that Pokémon Go inspires other companies to develop games, which involve physical activity and constant movement that is tracked by a GPS. We are hopeful that in the future more phone apps will motivate users to exercise, be healthy and of course stay safe.”

For more information about the AHA and how Pokémon Go can affect our health please visit: (http://news.heart.org/?s=pokemon+go&lang=ICL_LANGUAGE_CODE)