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 of late .. but not all hilarious. The obsession has reached a point where recently, a man crashed his car into a tree while on the quest for 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 even having launched in the country officially.
Recently, a video posted online showed Chennai’s gamers flooding a park in Anna Nagar after being notified of a rare Blastoise in the vicinity, proving that Pokemon Go is more than just a game for some. Has our obsession with the augmented reality offering finally gone too far?
Psychologist Dr Mini Rao says that despite the pros of having to walk around to catch Pokémon there are cons too — “Video games 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 what your real life. However therapeutic it may seem, the question is what’s next?”
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 is highly addictive but it certainly is not safe on any level. 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 — a lot more than we can imagine. There are also apps which can fake your GPS location, so you can catch all the Pokémons sitting on your couch, and not take the pain of roaming around,” Nithin Gopal, a tech professional from Hyderabad, shares about the technical cons of the game.
Gopi Krishna, a Chennai-based 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. The odds of an accident occurring are high. Moreover, taking night hikes could result in you getting mugged — this has actually happened in the US and UK. The addiction is also becoming competitive with players taking over gyms in their area and battling it out to retain them.”
Priyansha Khurana, a content writer in Delhi, has experienced how the game affects people’s relationships as well. She says, “My friend is so engrossed with the game that he wanted a month-long break to catch Pokémons. His workplace refused, so he resigned! He justifies it by saying he’s always wanted to do something he’s passionate about instead of a 9 to 5 job! He has also stopped responding to friends’ calls.” This may seem a little crazy but judging by this and several other incidents, the obsession is real and harmful. The question is, where will we draw a line between the virtual and the real world?
