So, you don’t like Pokemon.
I have read countless comments in the past few days about Pokemon GO and many of them are extremely negative. What’s wrong? Are you scared of something new or do you now want your children to be outside, getting exercise and actually doing something? Would you rather they sit indoors eating Pop Tarts and watching TV or playing on an Xbox?
If you think it’s for kids, then let it be for kids. Let them enjoy it. If you see an adult playing Pokemon GO, don’t judge them- they are just trying something new and were quite possibly fans of Pokemon back in the day. It’s just like trying Twitter or Facebook for the first time, likely when people said the same thing about those, and simultaneously ignoring the irony of telling everyone via Facebook how crap Pokemon is while staring at a phone or computer screen and doing exactly the same thing.
What exactly is the difference between a person using their phone to find Pokemon and ‘checking in’ on Facebook to a random location or showing the world some non-important information about your life? Why is the first sadder than the second? Trust me, it really isn’t.
There is of course nothing wrong with using social networks to post whatever you like, that is why they are there, but to judge something new as somehow bad is akin to when people said the motor car was a terrible idea and that computers would take over the world.
My son went out with his mates yesterday to play football and after that they walked home, except that one of them found a Pokemon on their iPhone. 5 miles later, they had all been searching for them and he got home much later than he intended to. But, he had walked for 5 miles and hadn’t come home and sat on his Xbox.
What would you rather happen? Your child sits at home watching Celebrity Love Island or plays on a games console, or goes out with their friends? It is likely the latter, but with Pokemon Go it is quite possible that they will be out with their friends more. The fact that they are searching for Pokemon rather than messaging each other or swapping photos on Instagram is mere detail. It is what they are doing, not what they see on their screens that matters and so in that respect Pokemon Go could be considered to be a positive thing.
Yes, Pokemon are childish. Yes, the game has caused some strange reactions from some players, but I don’t see it as a bad thing on any level because I always try to keep an open mind until I see how something new develops.
