Pokémon GO is a positive cultural force that promotes increased physical activity and social interactions. Contrary to popular belief that games don’t benefit society and have negative side effects, Pokémon GO is a revolutionary game that has helped many people see the benefits of gaming. Many studies have shown that Pokémon GO players have reported themselves having increased social interactions, as well as physical activity.
A literature review study by Nigel Cartlidge, a professor at Bonds University in Australia, combined 36 peer-reviewed articles with 120 web articles and found that 60% of the studies reviewed had participants showing an increase in daily steps after downloading the game. Another study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that players experience, on average, an increase of 50 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week and a 25% increase in physical activity level over 30 days. The majority of players showing an increase in physical activity shows that Pokémon GO’s benefits extend to many players, as the range of people surveyed consisted of varying demographics and previous physical activity levels. These positive effects of the game can be seen in most players, providing health benefits to millions of people.
Pokémon GO’s impact extends to many different groups and demographics in the community, promoting interaction between these groups as it gives strangers something in common to bond over. A columnist for the New York Times praised the game, saying that they’d never spent so many days enjoying their city before playing Pokémon GO. The game allowed her to discover multiple new places in her community, like parks and museums. A study presented in the Journal of Clinical Medicine summarizes the findings of 36 studies relating to Pokémon GO, covering topics ranging from health effects to social and psychological effects. The overview found eleven studies concluding that the game improved the mood of most players, and two studies even found that Pokémon GO has a connection to psychological well-being, such as higher life satisfaction, happiness, and vitality. These positive outcomes of playing Pokémon GO show how revolutionary the game is- at the time of release, it was one-of-a-kind- the only video game to have positive mental and physical effects on most players.
Everyone should try Pokémon GO, even if it’s only for a few days. The evidence is present- if you download the game, you will most likely experience positive effects. You don’t need to know anything about Pokémon, since the game has a format that’s easy to follow and an onboarding process that introduces new players quickly and efficiently. There’s no reason not to try it out for yourself and see how it benefits you… Why not give it a GO?
Works Cited
Cartlidge, Nigel. “Pokémon Go™, Increasing Social, Cultural and Physical Activity in Public Spaces: An Analysis of Cultural Change through Technological Innovation.” 2017 National Sustainability in Business Conference, Brisbane, Australia. 2017
Ewell, Patrick J., et al. “Catching More than Pocket Monsters: Pokémon Go’s Social and Psychological Effects on Players.” Journal of Social Psychology, vol. 160, no. 2, Mar. 2020, pp. 131–36. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1080/00224545.2019.1629867..
Gonchar, Michael. “Is Pokémon Go a Positive Cultural Force? Or Is It Just Another Excuse for People to Stare at Their Phones?” The Learning Network, 13 Sept. 2016, archive.nytimes.com/learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/09/13/is-pokmon-go-a-positive-cultural-force-or-is-it-just-another-excuse-for-people-to-stare-at-their-phones/.
Lee, Jung Eun et al. “Effects of Pokémon GO on Physical Activity and Psychological and Social Outcomes: A Systematic Review.” Journal of clinical medicine vol. 10,9 1860. 25 Apr. 2021, doi:10.3390/jcm10091860