Pokeman fever the plus and minus of it all from a business and health care point of view
With more than 21 + million users daily in the US in it’s first week Pokeman Go has reportedly become the most popular US mobile game ever. One might wonder how does Pokeman play affect your health and the community?
Dr. Irvin Sulpas, an assistant professor of family medicine and primary care sports meds, discusses the games’ primary health benefit being that it’s getting players moving.
Instead of playing games indoors most often times in a seated position it forces you to get out and interact as well as walk to catch Pokeman in the real world. A feature allowing you to hatch eggs forces the players to walk between 1 to 6 miles.
From a physical therapy stand point one worries about injuries. News reports say that users have tripped. fallen into lakes, crashed a car and sustained other injuries while playing. The National Safety Council released a statement urging people to be more cautious during play and consider safety over scores.
A plus for business owners as we here in Forest Lake have observed is, people are exploring their communities while playing the app. They are discovering new businesses, shops, and restaurants. The minus is possibly too many people visiting one spot at one time, seeking possibly inappropriate places or not respecting their surroundings.
Whatever your thoughts may be on this Pokemon phenomenon it has surpassed social media apps such as Instagram and Twitter for daily use on Android devices according to ProCon.org. I feel this GPS interactive scavenger hunt will continue – Just be careful people!
– Trixie
