The Pokemon Go Craze Has Reached New Levels

When my sister, who is 10 years younger than me, told me last week that there was a new app called Pokémon Go and it was the new hotness on social media, I blew her off.

What adult in their right mind is going to play Pokémon? My kids collect Pokémon...they're kids. All I thought was, "Eh, she's 10 years younger than me...none of my adult friends will be drawn to a kids app..." WRONGO.

Two days after I first heard about this new app, I actually had adult friends playing it and it really is all over social media. Here are a few memes that I have seen in the past week....

Did you notice that these memes all have adults in them?

Is anyone disturbed by this? At all?????

I can't figure out if this app is genius or ridiculous.

I have friends who are going out to parks and playing with their kids. It's great that kids are getting off the couch and the app is resulting in fun family time. When was the last time technology caused this type of activity? Probably with the invention of the Wii.

I recently saw a debate on adults using this game and one person said her church was using it as a way to reach out to people.

When I see stuff like this I can't help but think, "Yeah, this app is pretty cool."

But then I get forwarded military information bulletins centered around Pokémon Go and the dangers that come with this app. Let me say that again...THE. US MILITARY. HAD. TO. TYPE. UP. A. BULLETIN. WARNING. ABOUT. POKEMON. GO...the US military that is currently fighting terrorists had to take time to warn military personnel about the dangers associated with AN APP!

It warned of the dangers of walking and looking at your phone. The dangers of criminal activity already being used through the lure module feature. The police receiving a surge in suspicious persons because people are trying to catch Pokémon while trespassing on private property.

In the news, major vehicle accidents have already occurred because drivers are playing while driving. Two men walked off a cliff in California and a teen walked out on a highway and got hit by a car. All the people survived, but hello is this not a wake up call?

Seriously, where has common sense gone? Just because you have fun playing games doesn't mean that you get a free pass on adulting and using your brain for goodness sake.

If an app has to come with several warnings, is the app really worth it? All you're doing is catching virtual fictional characters. I'm not understanding the lure and reward of walking around using up phone data in-order to play a game, especially when there are so many other important things that need to be done daily.

I'm just guessing here, perhaps adults are drawn to this game in-order to forget about their adult responsibilities????

I can already hear the argument of parents who let their kids play this app. They'll say that it's good because kids are being active. Let me remind you of the damage done to kids when they spend too much time using technology. As an educator, I can tell you that there is a big difference in school performance between kids who have unlimited screen time and those who go home after school and have limited technology use.

Unlimited screen time results in attention problems, sleep disorders and obesity. Doctors recommend 1-2 hours daily for all screens. That includes TV, tablets, computers, phones, and handheld devices.

So is it beneficial to allow kids to play Pokémon Go because they get outside and moving? I'm thinking no because of the dangers listed above.

Furthermore, this is the perfect opportunity for child predators to lure kids to them using that handy lure module feature...has that occurred to anyone?

I think for now I will pass on this app and instead I'll sit down a read a book with Opal and Mae...

The original blog post was edited to add to the list of accidents caused by the stupidity of Pokémon Go users as of 7/15/16. I'm sure more accidents are waiting right around the corner.