You may have noticed that in the last week your teenager suddenly walked out the front door glued to their phone as they talked about capturing monsters!!
I've noticed this ALL over my social media feeds and even the news, Pokemon GO uses the phone's GPS and internet to turn the whole world into a Pokemon region map. Here at ReachOut we couldn't be happier! Getting people walking, active and outdoors, and importantly, it's getting people interacting and connecting on the street. Social interaction and making new friends are known to be protective factors for mental health.
In general, we are pretty pro-video games here at ReachOut - the problem isn’t usually with the game – it’s with the behaviours around it (avoiding social interaction and physical activity) - everything in moderation!
Gaming is fun, and research shows games can positively influence young people’s emotional state, self-esteem, optimism, vitality, resilience, engagement, relationships, sense of competence, self-acceptance and social connections and functioning.
But Pokemon Go takes it a step further encouraging physical activity and connections in the real world - have a read of this from Buzzfeed
"Tumblr user Ari ... is 18 and lives in Orlando in Florida. She has anxiety and depression and for the past three years has avoided leaving the house unless absolutely necessary.
“But as soon as I got Pokemon Go I was able to leave the house, and I walked outside for hours and suddenly found myself enjoying it. I had the instant rush of dopamine whenever I caught a Pokémon, and I wanted to keep going. Then today and yesterday I purposely put myself in social situations, going to the mall, just to play. And best of all I enjoyed it."
Wow! So... what's your verdict?
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