Near me is a boutique area where all the businesses are locally owned. About 5:30 pm one day, I noticed many young people, some teens and some twenty-ish. Couples walked. Groups of friends walked. Over the next few days, I observed that they all had phones, looking at them, usually not talking to companions.
These people were in the shopping area, in the park, at the train depot, behind the museum...all walking around, ambling, actually. They are out as early as 5 pm and as late as the early morning hours--3 am.
Finally, it hit me--Pokemon Go. At first, I was sad for them.
Then, I realized these young people were out in high heat and humidity, with heat index at 100 degrees still and humidity of over 90%. While they were not exerting a lot of energy, they were not motionless in front of a computer or game system.
A group of young people tried to get into a Sam's club and assured the door person they did not want to shop, just wanted to look for Pokémon things. The person refused to allow them to enter. I asked what would happen if they said they really wanted to go to the pharmacy or the place to order glasses. He said, "Hell no, not after they said what they wanted first. If they had not confessed their mission first, they would be admitted."
I was in WM and a large group of teens were all looking at their phones and looking around. Yes, they were in the way, only playing Pokémon Go. They are oblivious to the world around them. It seems these Pokemons are hidden everywhere. The trainers (humans) catch them and train them to do battle. ???
A woman in WM had just taken her ten-year-old to the park to play Pokemon. She told me the light posts all have outlets so people just plugged in their phones and waited for them to charge. People play until their phones are dead.
I was impressed at their dedication in this sweltering heat. Period. I just noticed that the system puts in the accent mark into the word "Pokémon." When I wrote it as one word, "PokemonGo," spellcheck had the correct form, two words as one of the options to correct the spelling. So, this game name is recognized but other, older and more common words are not recognized. Hmmm.
Your turn
Do you play Pokémon Go? Are there people everywhere you go playing this game? What is your take on this?
I don't but I have a couple of friends who are out in this insane heat and humidity to try and "find" Pokemon. Personally I think it is nuts but they are having fun and doing it with their kids (College age kids at that)
ReplyDeleteAnne,
DeleteI am with you on the heat and humidity issue. I suppose this is a bonding occasion for parents and kids! I don't see it, myself!
No, don't play and wouldn't. If the point, as I understand it, is to get people out and moving it's accomplishing that but not making people more aware of the outdoors. There have been car accidents, injuries from not noticing where they are, etc with those playing the game. Locally, our library has been sponsoring sessions in an effort to get kids into the library, even awarding prizes. Yes, the kids go to the library but then leave when the session is over not even noticing the books, movies, and other offerings. This too will pass - soon I hope.
ReplyDeleteTom,
DeleteOf course, someone is profiting from all this activity. One guy was shot on Fisherman's Wharf as he played the game.
Our library has something about Pokémon, too. But, like you say, they go only for one reason. I doubt the library will have more patrons from the activity.