It’s been less than a week since Pokémon Go came out and the augmented reality mobile game has already taken over Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. Sixty percent of Android users are playing the game for almost an hour every day, the number of daily users is almost equal to that of Twitter, and there are more people on Pokémon Go right now than there are people on Tinder. The game is also closing people off from the real world, so much so that people are getting themselves injured.
The game was released on July 6th and almost 700 people have already been hit by cars while playing the game. The app, which features Pokémon popping up in real life places, has lead players into busy streets and highways just to catch one of the fictionalized creatures. “You do what you have to in order to become the very best,” Alliey Kendrick told us. “When it comes to catching something like a Jigglypuff; you do what you have to. I’ve run into bikers, shown up late to work, and almost broke up with my boyfriend because of this game.” the event manager and her boyfriend are very competitive when it comes to Pokémon and the game has caused a lot of fights between the two of them. Although neither her or her boyfriend have gotten injured playing the game, over 100 people per day have not been so lucky.
Emergency rooms have been filled with Pokémon. When we tried to reach a doctor in one of these hospitals, he could not be reached for comment. He was too busy playingPokémon Go. If you’re playing Pokémon Go, just make sure you are careful of your surroundings.
