What Parents Should Know about Pokémon GO

If you haven’t heard about Pokémon GO yet, you’ve probably seen the effects of the latest gaming craze to sweep the nation. The increase in the number of people spending time outdoors isn’t some new health craze – it’s thanks to Nintendo’s wildly successful smartphone game. Once-deserted town centers are hosting droves of tweens and teens and even nostalgic twenty-somethings with children of their own on the hunt for elusive cartoon pocket monsters.

Candy Crush, eat your heart out

The game has become an overnight sensation. Heavy reported,

“According to The USA Today [sic], earlier in the week, Pokémon GO was reported to have been downloaded at least 15 million times. But other recent data suggests the number is even higher than that. As of Monday, July 11th, the game was seeing about 21 million daily active users, according to Survey Monkey. This means that in terms of daily users, it is the biggest mobile game in U.S. history. For comparison, at its peak Candy Crush reportedly had about 20 million daily active users in the United States.”

According to data collected from iPhone users, the game is in use for more time on average than either Facebook or Twitter. In short, the game is wildly successful and incredibly popular. If you have children under 18 and haven’t downloaded the game yourself, odds are pretty good that the all-ages game is already in your house. While any game that encourages kids to get outside and run around is a pretty good one in our book, outdoor activities come with an inherent risk.

Pokémon GO has several incredible features, like the ability to overlay fictional characters on the real world. The game allows players to meet new people, explore under-appreciated local landmarks, and encourages exercise to accomplish in-game goals. Unfortunately, it requires these same players to be glued to their phone screens the entire time they are in the real world.

Talk to your kids about playing safely

Popsugar.com reported on one of the scarier features of the game: “One of the options in the game is to ‘lure’ people to your location to engage in a battle. It has been reported on at least one occasion that children are being lured to secluded areas, which is basically a parent’s worst nightmare. Set some guidelines with your kiddo about where and when they can play, or make sure that you can go out with them so there’s a set of eyes.”

Reports have also been coming in from numerous news sources about players sustaining serious injuries by tripping and falling, hitting their heads on street signs, and falling off of bikes and skateboards. The first reports of auto accidents are also coming through – a driver in Auburn, NY; a teen hit by a car in Pittsburgh – it may only get worse from here.

All the standard warnings about encouraging your child to be aware of their surroundings apply here. Unfortunately, kids with smartphones can become distracted to the exclusion of all else; this is where parental restrictions, both real and virtual, come into play. Establish rules about where, when, and how long your child is allowed to play. You can enforce these rules by monitoring location or data usage, or simply by locking out access to the game during certain hours.

Unfortunately, as all parents know, accidents can happen despite your best efforts. When they do, experienced legal counsel on your side can be invaluable. The experienced South Carolina personal injury attorneys at McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC can evaluate your case and help get you the compensation you deserve. Call 803-327-7800 or contact us today for a free consultation.