Here at Josey Lane Dentistry, in Carrollton, Texas, we love Pokemon Go as much as the next person. I have been caught a few times at the front desk playing it. FYI – If you are a current or new patient, let me know at the front desk that you caught the Pokemon Go fever and you will receive 5 Original Pokemon playing cards!
So here’s a little insight into the ins and outs of the hot new game. Parents and anybody that works with kids are always looking for ways to get them up and moving, but many people know that most kids in today’s world would rather sit in front of a screen. We have seen multiple video games and websites that have attempted to find a solution, but there has not seemed to be much that stuck, especially with people of all ages. Well, Nintendo has seemed to have come up with the perfect match in Pokemon Go.
I love this new game because it gets people off the couch and out and about, with childhood obesity on the rise I know this will help our kids get off the couch and come out and play, it also encourages us to learn new parts of our city that we never knew where there. The more you get out and move around the faster you level up on the game. Also if you have eggs in the incubator the more you get out and move the faster they hatch and become cool Pokemon. I read an article the other day that said that a boy who had autism was making new friends because of this game and that people or children with learning disabilities this game is really helping them come out of their shell and is helping them with people skills and just being more confident to approach random people that they would never approach normally. Once you get to level 5 you get to be on a team Red, Blue, or Yellow team. I am on Blue because most of my friends are on Blue.
This newly released augmented reality app has transformed our everyday environment into a brand new world of possibilities and chances to “catch ‘em all.” In less than a week since its release, Pokemon Go has taken much of the country by storm and many have noticed more people out and interacting with the world than before. In the viral takeoff of this app, many are excited, but some others are skeptical of what to expect from this game. I hope to walk you through the ins and out of the game with exciting features as well as areas to be cognisant of.
Why We Love Pokemon Go
- Get your family moving
First off, this has gotten people of all ages up and moving. As you walk or drive around your city you are sure to see more people than usual walking around with their phones in their hands. Yesterday, I was greatly surprised to see the amount of families and groups of young people that were out and about at a park I frequent. The app requires you to go to different locations to find Pokemon to catch. Some have tried to “beat the system” by driving to locations they know of that have Pokestops. However, the creators put in a unique feature in which you have to have a certain amount of steps to hatch the characters.
- Family time
Another benefit to the app is that parents are able to interact with their kids on a game that has spanned the generations. Many parents remember the card version that became popular in the 1990’s. You are able to interact with your kids and experience them together while you are all being active.
Things to Look out for
- Be aware of your surroundings
One pitfall that can come from this is that many children that have grown up in this technology age need to be reminded to be aware of their surroundings. Something important to tell them is that you do not have to be directly on a Pokestops or gym to reap the benefits. Local transportation authorities have put out statements warning against playing while driving, walking into intersections, and walking onto streets into traffic without watching for traffic.
- Use the buddy system
I would also recommend making sure children are accompanied by an adult or older, responsible sibling or friend. Many times Pokemon trainers will meet other trainers along the way, especially at gyms and Pokestops. To be as safe as possible make sure your children are aware of ways to stay safe around strangers. Parents, while helping your child make their trainer name it is helpful not to have their real name as their gamertag. This will aid in safety when meeting up with fellow trainers.
- Charge up
If your child is out without you, make sure they have an external power source with them because this game is a huge battery drainer. It uses GPS, which we will get to later, and continual use of the screen and other systems which send your battery plummeting fast if you’re not careful. Another way to make sure your child’s phone doesn’t die while they are away from home teach them how to keep track of their battery life and give them a set percentage that tells them it is time to come home and recharge.
- Be aware of app permissions
So I mentioned GPS earlier, since the game overlays itself onto your surroundings, it requires use of precise location at all times. This is a feature that many area concerned about because Google then has access to store your previous locations as part of its permissions. Many people are not concerned with this, but it is still something to be aware of.
University of Texas at Arlington campus around Midnight, days after launch of Pokemon Go.
- Talk to your kids about safety around strangers
Another point that can either be a positive of something to be aware of are gyms and Pokestops. Gyms are areas in which people meet up to train their Pokemon and fight them against others. This means that there must be another trainer present. At these locations you can find people day and night working to make their team the best it can be. For parents this is 2 fold. On one hand, this means that people are being brought together in settings where they can interact with others. The game itself does not have an in-app messaging system, so to talk to another trainer you must talk to them in real life. On the other hand, this means that anybody can come into contact with your child. It is always suggested to be there with your child for safety. Anybody is also able to put out “lures” to draw Pokemon and indirectly other people to a specific area for 30 minutes. This is something to be aware of because there are guaranteed to be other people at a location trying to “catch ‘em all.”
Just FYI there is a Pokestop in our parking lot at the church. The Pokestops are good for getting more Poke Balls and getting eggs and potions. There is a gym in the Shipley’s Donuts parking lot, and a gym is where you make your Pokemon stronger and it’s also where you fight other people and their Pokemon. I have only been to one gym and I got beat by all three of the people who fought me, clearly I need more practice. The parking lot in front of us with the Cafe Brazil in it has 3 different Pokestops in it and instead of the normal 5 minutes to get home it now takes me 20 minutes because of the Pokestops and catching at least one Pokemon in the parking lot at Cafe Brazil.
Overall, this game has had more users daily than Twitter and more average time spent per day on Snapchat. The popularity has not seemed to wane at this point, so to be proactive it is great to keep your children safe while they catch all the Pokemon they can. If you have any other suggestions on ways to be safe while playing, we would love to hear about them!
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