In the last week the world has gone Pokemon Go crazy!
Millions of us have become
addicted to the game which🌧️ has brought Pokemon back to life! However, it doesn’t seem
to be just a game, in some ways it seems🌧️ to have become a way of life and an addiction.
It even features on the BBC news! For a free🌧️ app which is downloaded by the simple
press of a button, it seems to have taken the world by storm!🌧️ With people even quitting
their jobs to play the game full time! But why is it so popular?
Well… There are
🌧️ various reasons!
1) It seems to bring back a feeling of nostalgia. For many of us it
brings back a happy🌧️ childhood memory as many born in the 1990’s this a very popular
game and toy. Hence why the app has🌧️ not only attracted the young but also the older
generations! Due to this many parents and children are playing the🌧️ game together which
allows them to bond.
2) It promotes exercise! To be able to collect Pokemon you have to
walk🌧️ or cycle to certain locations! And it seems that people will walk as long as it
takes to get those🌧️ rare Pokemon. This is not only promoting exercise but also promotes
going outside into the fresh air! Statistic have shown🌧️ that average people play an
average of 43 minutes of Pokemon per day which is 43 minutes of exercise which🌧️ in one
week means burning around 1800 calories for men and 1500 for women. Something that many
parents struggle to🌧️ convince their children to do.
3) It has also been shown to solve
crimes! As many people are looking around for🌧️ Pokemon more crimes are being spotted
because people are becoming more aware of their surroundings and observant of what is
🌧️ going on!
So what are the issues!?
There are various safety concerns !
a) Unfortunately
very young children are playing Pokemon which causes🌧️ safety concerns for parents. This
can be a very risky game for young children if there are no parental controls🌧️ on the
game. Individuals with bad intentions could lure children in locations which are unsafe
and without the child having🌧️ control. (If you are concerned about your child playing
Pokemon the NSPCC website has a lot of help, support and🌧️ guidance on understanding the
game and how to ensure your child is safe).
b) A lack of concentration. People are so
🌧️ obsessed with the game that they are for example forgetting to check for cars when
crossing the road or people🌧️ are simply not aware of their environment which could
potentially be very dangerous
And finally…
2) Addiction! (Definition:An addiction is a
strong🌧️ and uncontrollable urge to undertake certain activities. This addiction exerts
happiness in the individual and gives them the feel good🌧️ factor. The addiction may
begin with something such as playing a game being pleasurable the behaviour results in
the individual🌧️ wanting to repeat the behaviour as the individual enjoyed it. This
repetition of the behaviour can eventually lead to an🌧️ addiction from which the
individual has high difficulty retreating from).
Everyone seems to be addicted to the
game! It seems people🌧️ spend hours on the game. They can go for minutes, hours and days
playing the game without really thinking of🌧️ the consequences! Here at The Blue Tree
Clinic we understand that new games are exciting but so is your mental🌧️ health!
Addiction can be a very serious problem! So make sure you take regular breaks when
playing and ensure you🌧️ put a time limit on how much you can play everyday! And if you
believe you are getting too addicted🌧️ here at The Blue Tree Clinic we can help you
before the issue gets too bad!
