Whether or not you are a fan of Pokémon GO, it is obvious that this game has unleashed a whole stream of followers around the world, dwarfing even Candy Crush Saga. Is this trend healthy or not? Today we talk about the good and the bad of Pokémon GO.
The good thing about Pokémon GO
Computer or console games are not considered a good example of leisure for health; however, this game is different. The initial premise is that Pokémon GO encourages you to leave home and move around the world; that is, you need to go for a walk if you want to find and hunt Pokémon. From the sofa at home you will not get anything. This is one of the reasons this virtual monster game has been viewed as a positive by the medical community. It is a game that forces us to exercise and fight against a sedentary lifestyle , associated with cardiovascular diseases, diabetes …
Walking – to get Pokémon in this case – has a statistically significant effect on depression symptoms and overall health, according to a study published in the journal Mental Health and Physical Activity . Thus, the beneficial effects of the game would go through a significant rebound in the mental health of the millions of individuals who play this game distributed by The Pokémon Company every day.
The bad about Pokémon GO
The main health concern surrounding Pokémon Go is very simple: people don’t pay attention where they go. Injuries and falls are becoming more than frequent and with the growing popularity of the game this is likely to get worse as well.
Many official bodies have begun to warn of the dangers of hunting Pokémon since their users are not only walking through the streets or surroundings without looking where they step, but now they also do it while driving, with the consequent danger that this entails . Logically, if we eliminate the action of walking from the equation, the positive side of this “epidemic” is no longer so promising for health.
