Five Reasons Why Pokemon GO Isn't the Antichrist

Let me tell you a story...

Once upon a time, there were two children who grew up from humble beginnings.  Just about all of their technology was a hand me down, and likely a generation behind, but that did not stop them from enjoying what little they had.  The really cool Game Boy Advance came out, and guess what these two children found whilst garage sale-ing one hot, summer day?

Yes, that's right.  NOT a Game Boy Advance.  It was new, who in their right mind would give it up at a garage sale?  It did force people to pawn off their old OG Game Boys, though, so each child received a hand me down, beat up, but workable portal of electronic dreams, complete with games such as Paperboy, Mortal Kombat, and Contra.  Life was good.

Then Pokemon came out.  The children realized they HAD to have the games.  They watched the show each morning they could, and were instantly entranced by the little pocket monsters.  The young girl got Pokemon Blue, while her older brother got Pokemon Red, once they had saved up enough money of course.  These were the first NEW games for their Game Boys, and boy were they excited!  They even found a way to be able to share, and trade the Pokemon that they caught!

If you haven't already realized, the children are my brother and me, and we lived our modest Pokemon dreams fiercely until, like most children, other things in life got in the way.

Fast forward about 18 years and Pokemon GO comes out.  Are you kidding me?  This game gives you the opportunity to catch Pokemon in your own backyard?  Sign me up!  As with everything that gives some immense joy, however, there is another soul-sucking percentage of the population which has to demean and criticize what others are doing rather than minding their own business (click here for more of my thoughts on that), which has finally prompted me to share with you "Five Reasons Why Pokemon GO Isn't the Antichrist"

1) It's attempting to get people out and on the move.

   The whole point of Pokemon GO is to get outside and move.  If you're new to the game, read up on it here.  While yes, there are ways you can play while as a passenger in a vehicle instead of walking/biking, or more creative ways of cheating like this, the premise of the game is to get people out and interacting with the world while enjoying what was likely a childhood pastime.  I mean, let's be honest, if this game didn't force people to be outside and they were instead at home behind computer screens no one would give a damn about it, but because it has become a public phenomenon, all of a sudden everyone has an opinion on it.  I don't remember the average American posting memes and being up in arms when college students were dropping out because they skipped class to play World of Warcraft all day.  Yet this harmless, kid-friendly (and did I mention FREE?) app has the Poke-haters' panties all in a bunch.  What gives, world?

   I know what you're going to say.  "Harmless?  I think not!  People are blindly walking into the streets, getting hit by cars, getting in accidents left and right, and we are putting our children in danger of trespassing and potential encounters with child predators."  There's one thing I can say to really address all those points at once and it's this: teach your children to not be idiots.  Kids can learn- I know, I do it for a living.  If your kids know not to run into traffic, or trespass, or commiserate with strange people, they won't do it regardless of if a person, game, or sign prompts or invites them to.  Regarding vehicular accidents?  Well, let's just boil it down to anyone playing Pokemon GO in the car and getting into an accident because of it was probably bound to get into an accident anyway.

2) It's  kind of brilliant.

   I remember a few years back, my husband was playing something called Ingress, which was also an augmented reality type game.  He explained it to me, and it sounded so fun!  It, unfortunately, did not come on iPhones, so I jealously watched him play on his team and try to "take over" landmarks in the town.  It seemed like such a blast!  Mixing that concept with a well-known and catchy 90s game that had developed and grown over the last decade wields Pokemon GO, and I am actually surprised that this idea hadn't developed sooner.

   The idea of going out and "catching them all" is a riveting one, and one that got so many people intrigued that it currently is the most downloaded free app (beating out apps like Snapchat and Facebook) and also the highest grossing app (beating out contenders like Candy Crush and Game of War).  Some true-blue fans are upset that the game deviates too much from the original, which having played the original I can attest to, but I'm not at all butt-hurt about it.  The nature of this game is so different from the original that it can't really be expected to mirror it.  It's also not made by Nintendo, a point that many stockholders are bummed to realize, which likely contributes to some of the differences.  I guess my point is if you want to play the original game, that's what the original game is for.  This version can't properly address the points of an augmented reality game effectively without also compromising some of the traditional aspects of the original game.  Plus, it likely wants to separate itself, and let's be real: trying to turn a profit (which it seems to be doing quite well) is a factor, too.

3) It's no worse than the other games or activities in which the "haters" probably indulge.

   Let's be real, here.  You could say "Why do people waste their time playing Pokemon GO?"  but insert just about any game or activity in the blank and you could justify why it was stupid.  Point being, we all have different tastes in how we choose to spend our free time.  Some find it a waste of time to work out, some think quilting is a dumb hobby, and others believe the Candy Crush games are utterly pointless and stupid.  They are all right, and they are all wrong, depending on who you speak with.  My philosophy on this is much like my philosophy on doughnuts: in moderation, they are ok!  And it is so true.  No one judges POGO haters for what they do in their spare time, so why all the backlash for POGO players?  Oh, because it's public.  I see.

    This hurts my 11 year-old heart.  :(  It's not even so much because this criticizes the game, so much as it unabashedly demeans those who choose to play it.  So it's stupid to play POGO, but cool to lounge in your PJs and play Criminal Case behind a computer screen all day?  Pokemon Go is stupid, but golfing in 90 degree weather drinking beer and and getting sunburned for six hours is cool?  I'm not condemning any of these activities, but the point is that this childish rationale of what is "stupid" can be applied to anything; it's just about perspective.  Everyone has hobbies, and some of your friends think those hobbies suck, and some of them think they are great.  Let's all play nice and not make fun of what others choose to do with their time.
   I have seen and experienced what I like to call PokeShame.  This is when, while playing POGO (usually at a well known PokeStop or Gym), you see or are approached by a person or persons, so you casually hold your phone by your side as if you're not trying to get a super potion, three Poke balls and a Razz berry.  Be proud of your Pokemon quest, young friends!  There is (or should be) no shame in taking advantage of a clever, and harmless app that thrives with imagination!  Again, I did use the word "moderation", so while I don't condone the 24/7 sitting by the gym defending it and wandering around streets aimlessly with no consideration of others, the occasional POGO session is by all accounts, a refreshing and healthy break from reality, which is what a good game should be.

4) It's collaborative.

   I watched a set of parents go Pokemon hunting with their kids the other day, and I thought it was darling.  News stories have covered local gatherings of people who plan Pokemon hang outs at specific times.  Siblings, friends, and significant others can go on walks together capturing Ratattas and Pidgeys.  Life is good, friends!  For once, interacting with others in a video game actually requires you to interact with them!  I don't exactly see the harm in this.  Oh wait, do you actually like getting Candy Crush invitations and FarmVille requests?  Oh, then by all means, carry on...

5) It's allowing 90s kids to live a dream they thought was only attainable from behind a screen.

   Again, I feel like I know what you are going to say, "That's the point!  All these damn millennials are walking around with their faces buried in their screens with no regard for the world around them!"  While that's not exactly a glowing review of how one should probably play the game, the point is that they aren't explicitly behind the screen anymore, but focused on what's in front of the screen, which is the real world!  There's just an animated Charmander there, too

   The bottom line of this point is: who wouldn't want to live their childhood dream?  Girls who played with Barbies always wanted to be the Barbies.  Boys playing with Ninja Turtles wanted to drive a Turtle Van and fight crime like the TMNT.  We all had childhood games we played, and childhood fantasies that went with them.  So now we get a taste of our younger selves' dreams, and you're going to write and share memes that criticize use for wasting our time?

   Do you know what I think is a waste of time?  No, you don't, because I generally don't post about it.  Your business is your business, and mine is mine.  I guess I would have just thought more of my social media peeps than to bash and belittle people for playing a game that is so innocent and rooted in childhood fantasy and play...and actually tries to motivate people to get outside for once!  The same people that find fault with this are the same ones that likely say "This generation never uses their imagination to play outdoors.  When I was young, we didn't have cell phones and had to make up our own games."  Well, now we can have the best of both worlds, and people are very quick to criticize.  I do wanna be the very best, people, and I do wanna catch 'em all, but your snarky posts and holier than thou memes make me feel like a heel for wanting to spend my free time doing this while I take my hella-cute baby for a walk.  What gives?

   Save for a few crazies in the group of POGO players around the world- which you'll also find in just about any other hobby- we're really not a bad bunch.  We don't hurt people, we don't fight (unless it's a Pokemon battle in a gym), and we certainly don't criticize you for your hobbies.  So please, before you share that snarky meme or post about how stupid and time consuming this hobby is, take a step back, determine if every single minute of your day is spent productively, and then reconsider.

Sincerely,

A budding Poke Master