Pokemon Go should not be officially launched in India!
The very addictive obsession among gamers is the new online game ‘Pokemon Go.’ Though not yet officially launched in India, it is already being played like crazy by everyone through Virtual Private Network (VPN) which allows users to change their locations and catch pokemons all around the world while sitting at the comfort of their living rooms in India.
All it takes is creating UK based ID and users in India are ready to go catching ‘em all everywhere. The site went crashing rigorously but the obsession did not seem to die out; not even for all the news of pokemon players landing in accidents while playing the game on roads. Mumbai police has taken to Twitter for issuing several warning messages about the health hazards of playing this augmented-reality-based game.
The date for official release is yet to be announced but India has already witnessed its first of many accidents due to this game. We Indians are already troubled by the number of road accidents increasing every year. Should the official launch be immediately banned to prevent further cases of road accidents in India?
For1. Accidents: There have already been so many road accidents and injury cases being reported from worldwide. In some cases it has been warned that the game is being misused by muggers to get people to reach a particular location and rob them. Where safety is concerned, the game is lagging back greatly. Life isn’t a game after all. Risking your life as well as the others on road is not something people should be allowed to do just for the sake of gaming fun.
2. Disclaimer: The game does come with a clear disclaimer that the game could distract you and land you in trouble if you are not aware of where you are heading to while catching virtual pokemons that are blended with real objects using GPS. It is called being put into a blended reality state where you are submerged into something that is not actually there. It is addictive which only makes it worse since you will be spending hours daily on it – the time that could be spent doing something necessary or productive.
3. Bad for kids: Once you are into the game, it becomes very difficult for even adults to quit playing. Children are bound to be more addicted and spend more screen time than is allowed or safe. Think of all the injuries a teen or a kid can get while jumping around a place engrossed in the phone that catches all the attention of the player. Children will easily ignore the hurdles ahead, something that even elders have known to be doing.
4. Long term effect: Spending too much time playing an online game could drain the battery of your phone as well as the energy of your body at a very quick pace. It is a game that builds up excitement, pumps up adrenaline and increases heart beat. You are bound to suffer from fatigue and headache, loss of sleep and many other health problems in the long run. Not just this game but any game for prolonged period daily will do that to you and this one is just the biggest addictive of them all.
5. Anti-social: Whoever said that the game helps people come out of their house and socialize with other players ignored the fact that the game still keeps the players engrossed in their phones. They interact with people online and are busy catching virtual stuff in whatever free time they get after work. Will there be any time left to socialize with people and spend time with family and friends?
Against1. Walking the extra mile: Gamers are slothful. Period. They are mostly obese too. This game, however, is quite different in this regard. It asks you to get up and keep moving around parks and other such places. You get rewarded for all those walking when you catch those rare pokemons. This incentivizing feature of the game makes it very good for health. You feel positive about making those to keep walking and finding which is just what we lack in today’s busy lifestyle. You might even be able to shed some extra weight and take a positive step towards being fit and healthy.
2. Fighting depression: These kinds of goal oriented games are known to help in curing depression, stress and anxiety. People are able to distract their minds off the stimulus of depression and are soon able to indulge in fun activities. Psychologists have been predicting that this game could be useful in treating depressed people who have lost hope in life and could actually prove to be therapeutic. It can only be know when more people are able to get their hands on the game officially.
3. No stopping anyways: Stopping the official release is not going to make any difference. People will continue to play it via VPN and in times to come find ways to crack and hack through the original game. Official release will instead bring more people to use it and be aware of the incidents that could happen. There are group of Pokewalkers in Mumbai and Delhi already who have been arranging meets at parks to spread awareness on how to play the game safely. When people are careful the accidents would not happen and might even prove to help people keep to their speeding limits.
4. Socialize: You walk about catching pokemons in a park and find similar people who could start talking about the game hence helping people socialize. In countries where the game has been launched, people are already talking about how they made new friends while playing the game and how it helped them ward off social anxiety – a common problem suffered by teens especially those who are into gaming and like keeping to themselves most of the time.
5. More exploring: You start exploring places when you are playing this game and you realize that your city has so many beautiful locations and landmarks that you had never seen or known before. This could help people be more informed and aware of their city and its places. You begin appreciating the good that life has to offer you in form of small things.
Love it or hate it, you are going to have to live with it. It is going to be live soon in India and people will go crazy playing it. What is more important is that people should be aware of the limits of playing any virtual reality game and stay safe all the time. Any excess of any game could make you lethargic and lead to serious problems. The game should be kept to safe places like parks and open areas instead of roads and terraces.
