Is ‘Pokemon Go’ dangerous?
From left, Leah Powell, Jerred Powell, 14, and Lauren Powell, 19, of Canonsburg, play “Pokemon Go” in North Strabane Township Park Wednesday. The trio walked around the park to search for Pokemon and paused by Pokestops to gather more items.
A Venonat Pokemon character is seen standing on Main Street in Washington last week in this screen capture from the “Pokemon Go” mobile game.
Area residents have been seeing more people walking around looking at their smartphones recently.
There’s a good chance these phone users are not texting or checking Facebook, but catching Pokemon, the fictional creatures from a long-running Nintendo game and cartoon series that debuted in the United States in 1998.
The mobile game “Pokemon Go” was released Saturday, and after just two days it had been installed on more Android devices than the popular mobile-dating app Tinder, according to Internet analysis company Similarweb.
“Pokemon Go” is an augmented reality game that uses a smartphone’s GPS feature to let players control an avatar on a map by walking in real life. Players have to walk to different areas on the map to find and collect virtual characters and items.
Because of the long lifespan of the Pokemon franchise, the user base spans from young children to millenials with childhood nostalgia.
“This is fantastic, because you can actually go out there and catch the Pokemon,” said Amanda Avelar, 25, of Jollick Manor, Washington.
Once a Pokemon is within distance of the player, they can use their phone camera within the game to “catch” the Pokemon and then battle the creatures against other players and teams at special locations on the map called “gyms.”
“I’ve been catching them all throughout Jollick Manor,” said Avelar. “It gives me and my son something to do together.”
Michael Kelley, 30, of Hickory, also enjoys the experience of getting outside to play a game.
“It’s really fun to explore,” Kelley said. “It’s interesting to see where stuff is. It’s really cool.”
Kelley said he’s reconnected with several friends from high school through “Pokemon Go.” Recently, they visited the Washington & Jefferson College campus to play and wound up making new friends who they saw playing the game.
According to Kelley, some “Pokemon Go” players are also using an app called “Charity Miles” that will donate money to charities based on how many miles they walk. By using the apps together, players can give money to charity while playing the game.
Wendi Rogers, 39, of Washington, said her 16-year-old son Blake has been playing “every opportunity he can get,” even at church.
“It’s good to see all these kids out working together,” said Rogers. “Typically, the neighborhood kids don’t come to church.”
However, combining a virtual world with the real world has raised safety concerns.
State police issued a community awareness bulletin Wednesday addressing these concerns, citing a recent case in St. Louis where four men allegedly robbed 11 “Pokemon Go” players at gunpoint by luring them to a dark parking lot.
A Tarentum woman said her 15-year-old daughter was hit by a car Tuesday while playing “Pokemon Go” game on her smartphone, according to an Associated Press report.
While the “Pokemon Go” loads with a warning to players about being aware of their surroundings, state police asked citizens to “be cognizant” of any players that might be distracted by the game.
McDonald police Chief Mark Dorsey said that he’s already had at least one call of a player trespassing on a resident’s lawn at night to catch Pokemon.
“I don’t know that it’s a widespread problem, but I see the potential for negative issues arising,” Dorsey said.
Dorsey urged players to be careful when playing, especially at night.
“I think there’s possibly a chance of somebody getting hurt or injured for not paying attention and focusing so much on their phones,” Dorsey said. “It’s essential they’re careful about their surroundings.”
Avelar agrees that players need to use caution while playing.
“We were walking up the sidewalk and one appeared right in the middle of the road,” said Avelar. “That’s definitely going to be a danger.”
Rogers said she doesn’t believe the dangers are any worse than what children and teens could encounter on social media.
“I’m assuming a parent would not give a child a phone with a data package if they’re a not very responsible child,” said Rogers. “You just have to practice good safety.”
Kelley agrees that “Pokemon Go” players need to “use their head about it.”
“It’s safer in a group,” he explained.
While “Pokemon Go” is still new, players don’t see the game becoming a passing fad.
“I think it’s going to last, especially with the older generation that grew up in the ’90s with the original Pokemon,” Avelar said. “We’ve been waiting for something like this all our lives.”
Rogers believes that “Pokemon Go” is a good thing and might be the beginning of many games in the same concept.
“The complaints many parents have is their kids are sitting on their iPods doing nothing,” she explained. “But now they’re going out and they’re making friends.”