Pokémon Go, a video game which has only been out close to two weeks is taking the world by storm, as millennial gamers and experts in the field of mental health and other areas of life report daily, its positive side effects and lessons. The augmented reality game which brings virtual enhancements to our own environment was released in the US on July 5, and it is already one of the top downloaded apps in both Android and iPhone stores.
Pokémon GO is a free mobile game that uses geolocation to place virtual Pokémon characters in the real world i.e. it uses your phone’s GPS and camera to see tiny virtual Pokémon characters, as if they exist in the real world. The game only requires you to walk around your environment so as to catch the creatures.
Pokémon Go interfaces with the real world, and it’s totally different from any other video game. Fans are already getting obsessed with this new found love, as they run around trying to catch Pokémons on their phone. You can term this addiction, but the good news is that it comes with several advantages and lessons for all.
“One of the features of this game is allowing you to actually challenge one of the major complaints about gaming: that it’s sedentary and isolating,” said Pamela Rutledge, director of the Media Psychology Research Center in Newport Beach, California.
The Power of Augmented Reality.
Rutledge talked about how ‘Pokémon Go’ teaches us to aim at greater things; we’ve been motivated to step out of comfort to take on challenges in the real world.
“The need to socialize with other people; the desire to go out and act on the world in a measurable way; and the need for competence and mastery, which is met by the game’s goal to “catch ’em all!”
The game is said to be psychologically beneficial to the players, as it helps in boosting the mood and well-being while players move around the real world.
“Pokémon Go allows you to bring fantasy into your own life but within your own control,” she added.
A Player with anxiety, low-self esteem and depression reported the side effects of the app:
