EDITORIAL: ‘Pokémon Go’ sparks unexpected events and tips from law enforcement

Posted 7/28/16

But the game, aptly named “Pokémon Go,” also raises some concerns.

“Pokémon Go” uses a smartphone’s GPS and camera in what’s called “augmented reality,” where digital characters are imposed into the real-world setting and the …

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EDITORIAL: ‘Pokémon Go’ sparks unexpected events and tips from law enforcement

Posted

A recently released video game encourages players to go for a walk instead of sitting around. That’s good; walking is beneficial for people of all ages.

But the game, aptly named “Pokémon Go,” also raises some concerns.

“Pokémon Go” uses a smartphone’s GPS and camera in what’s called “augmented reality,” where digital characters are imposed into the real-world setting and the GPS map tracks the player’s movement. Walking more leads to more points — and more opportunities for getting into dangerous situations when the game is not played responsibly.

As of Tuesday, 75 million people had downloaded “Pokémon Go,” according to The Wall Street Journal.

In order to play the game, players have to walk or bike several miles; it’s easy to clock in 10 miles on foot in a single afternoon of playing. But the temptation to rack up points faster has led to some people playing while driving instead of walking — which surely is even more dangerous than texting while driving.

Issues with people playing this game unsafely prompted the Park County Sheriff’s Office to issue safety tips for players and parents, and we’re happy to see those concerns addressed. (See Page 12 in today's Powell Tribune for the full story.)

Many of the Sheriff’s Office’s safety tips are applicable for any situation, not just when playing “Pokémon Go:” Letting someone know where you’re going, not going to strange places alone, remaining aware of your surroundings, staying in well-lit places at night, watching where you’re going, etc. Then there’s the obvious one about not trespassing onto private property.

Fortunately, trespassing isn’t necessary for playing the game — items in the game can be accessed from public sidewalks, even if they appear to be located on someone’s property. Just tap the item on the screen while near it (but still on a public sidewalk).

Unfortunately, the game’s impact hasn’t been entirely positive. Special areas are marked on the GPS map where players can earn additional points by playing in that location.

In other parts of the country, some criminals are using these hotspots as a way to rob people who are playing alone, and that’s why we urge people to play in groups or to only go to spots that are in very public areas.

Luckily in Powell, “Pokémon Go” locations were the Methodist Church on Bernard Street, Immanuel Lutheran Church on East Fifth Street, the DeWitt Student Center at Northwest College and at Rocky Mountain Soup and Sandwich as of Tuesday — all highly visible and safe public locations.

The location of these hotspots can be requested and changed at tinyurl.com/PokémonGoRequests, and players also can report inappropriate gameplay and issues with hotspot locations.

But these aren’t the only locations players are drawn to. Pokémon appear sporadically on the map — encouraging players to quickly get to them before they disappear. If players get engrossed in the game, they could end up doing something dangerous, such as crossing the street without looking for traffic.

With more people out and about, exploring their communities off the beaten path, the chances of witnessing crime increases as well.

Earlier this month, a suspect in an attempted murder was found by two Marines in California who were playing the game, according to CNN. This suspect could still be at large, had these two young men been doing anything else that afternoon. On the other hand, it could have been a bad situation for someone else to come across.

Wyoming made international news shortly after the game’s release when Riverton’s Shayla Wiggens found a body in the Wind River when the game led her to explore the river area. Fremont County Undersheriff Ryan Lee said the death appeared to be accidental, possibly a drowning.

Had Wiggens not been playing the game, who knows how long it would have taken for the body to be found. Her discovery, though likely distressing for Wiggins, helped bring closure to the drowning victim’s family and friends

While the game does raise some eyebrows and concern, on the whole we’re glad it’s getting people off the couch and walking around. There are a lot of health benefits to be gained from just going for a walk, so adding some incentive for video game players to get some fresh air and exercise is, well, a breath of fresh air.

The game can only be played where cell signals are available, so it’s unlikely we’ll be hearing about backcountry “Pokémon Go” excursions gone wrong. But whether you’re out chasing digital creatures or real ones, keep your wits about you, use common sense — and go out and have some good, clean fun.

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