Can the Pokemon Go App Put You in Danger?

Certainly a huge hit on people of all ages, the free-to-play Pokemon App is the latest social media trend everyone is talking about. But while the game lets you earn prizes and catch sought-after Pokemon creatures, it also poses numerous risks to engrossed players.

According to a report by The Daily Mail UK, the Pokemon Go has put several users in various dangerous situations within days following its launch. The top grossing app on iTunes has been linked to injuries, bad driving and opportunistic robberies. Moreover, several experts have issued warnings as the game could be used by child predators to kidnap children.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Anime Shojo

In the virtual treasure hunt game, players known as Poketrainers are encouraged to use their mobile phones’ GPS to track and catch virtual Pokemon in real-world locations suited to their species. As players move around their virtual map, their mobile phone will vibrate to signal that a Pokemon is nearby. To capture the creature, players can then throw a PokeBall and add it to their collecion.

After capture of creatures, players can train and “battle” them against other creatures at “gyms”. Poketrainers can catch as many as 722 species of Pokemon around their vicinity and the world.

Several players have sustained injuries from tripping and stumbling while chasing creatures. A certain Reddit User revealed that he fractured a bone in his foot while playing the game. Pokemon Go has also prompted social media users to post photo of themselves chasing creatures in a variety of dangerous situations like driving.

Meanwhile, a group of players in St. Louis-area in Missouri were robbed by teens who reportedly used the app to lure unsuspecting victims to an isolated area.

With the potential risk the game poses particularly to young users, a Twitter user carried out an experiment to see how the game can easily lure children. Within moments after putting a character at the Pokestop, several children came, some without their parents.

What is Pokemon?

Created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1995, it revolves around fictional creatures called Pokemon, which humans can catch and train to battle each other for sport. Recognized as the second-most successful and lucrative video game-based media franchise in the world, the Pokemon franchise now includes animated TV shows and films, video games, comic books, trading card games and toys.

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