Pokémon Go isn’t just a game; it’s a phenomenon that has created a global frenzy. The game has been the cause for several incidents, not all of them hilarious. The obsession has reached a point where recently, a man crashed his car into a tree while on the quest for the pocket monsters; a couple of teenagers were shot while on a hunt in the night because people mistook them for thieves, a girl chanced upon a dead body while playing, and the app is even being used to lure people and mug them! This mania has gripped India as well, despite the game not having been launched in the country officially. We take a look at the negative effects this overnight success is having on its players.
Psychologist Dr Mini Rao says that despite the pros of having to walk around to catch Pokémon there are cons. “Of course there are several cons. Videogames of any kind have a massive effect on people, especially children. There are withdrawal symptoms when one isn’t playing. That is why, as a parent, I never recommend them. Everything that isn’t done in moderation is harmful and one needs to know that games are part-time and shouldn’t be played for more than a couple of hours.” She adds, “I think the success of the game can be attributed to the fact that it is an escape from reality. So you can get lost in the game without facing your real life.” “However therapeutic it may seem, the question is what’s next?” Dr Rao says.
Even though people are raving about how Pokémon Go is helping gamers get out of their house and get some exercise, there is a way around that as well. “The game can access all the information around you and about you — where you live, where you go to most, your web history, your profiles, weather in your area. There are also apps which can fake your GPS location, so you can catch all the Pokémon in comfort sitting on your couch,” says Nithin Gopal, a tech professional from Hyderabad.
Gopi Krishna, a graphic designer who considers himself addicted to the game, says he is aware of the drawbacks of being completely immersed in the game’s universe. “The cons can be fatal, especially if people are playing it while driving or riding to work. Moreover, taking night hikes could result in you getting mugged — this has actually happened in the US and UK.”
A screengrab from the app
Priyansha Khurana, a content writer, has experienced how the game affects relationships as well. She says, “My friend is so engrossed with the game that he wanted a month-long break to catch Pokémon. His workplace refused, so he resigned! He justifies it by saying he wants to do something he’s passionate about!”
Judging by a recent video where Chennai gamers flooded a park because they had been notified there was a Blastoise nearby, the obsession and the addiction is real. The challenge is to draw a line between the virtual and the real world.
Incidents so far
- Two Florida teen Pokémon Go players were shot at when they were mistaken for burglars
- A gamer crashed his car into a tree in New York playing a round of the game
- A man’s private home has turned into a Pokémon gym
- Students were mugged at knifepoint while being distracted by the game
- A gamer resigned from his job to catch Pokémon.
- Chennai gamers flooded a park because they had been notified there was a Blastoise nearby.
Cracking the game
Emulating the anime, Pokémon Go requires players to walk to advance in the game. But as games go, there are people who’ve found a way to catch Pokemon without moving a single step. For Android phones, applications like Fake Location Spoofer Free will work in helping you fake your location. On an iPhone, you can be jailbroken using similar apps. Enable Developer options in your settings and go to Mock location app, where you can choose the app you installed. After this you can go to the app and choose any location on the world map that you’d like to be at and the game will read you as being in the fake location you have entered. But beware, if you change your location more than once in a few hours, you could be banned from the game (for a few hours). A small price to pay for the rewards!
