Five Dangers Of Pokemon Go

5 Dangers of Pokémon Go
A growing trend is a growing danger
According to the USA today, Pokémon Go has over 15 million downloads. And while the numbers are not concreted (as there are more downloads every minute), it is clear to see that the application is growing to a global viral status. Pokémon Go allows the user to interact between the real work and the virtual world. It is a new form of augmented reality and gamming. Primarily, the user has to find real world locations which house the virtual Pokémon ball or character. For the avid fan, this application brings the fictional world to life. But is the application safe? Concerns among various users and sites have said that perhaps there is more danger to the application than one may think.

A recent news report showed teenagers unknowingly crossing international boarders illegally. Business owners have complained about Pokémon Go users trying to access warehouses and loading docks to get a ball, and private establishments have noted non-paying customers entering their facility for the same such purpose. Where the game may provide an outside element of engagement, it is clear that there has been a disregard for the boundaries within the real world, and here lies the danger. According to Dalia Lašaitė, co-founder and CEO of CGTrader, “3D games and interaction is a vital part of our modern society. However, when the line between reality and the real world fades, it is equally essential that those users, specifically younger audiences, realize and respect the social and physical boundaries, regardless of how entertaining the game is.” Those which trespass are apt to incur charges for trespassing, put themselves at danger of being shot upon in certain restricted areas, and greatly increase the likelihood of injury when entering spaces such as construction zones and high voltage containment

And where this adds a bit of multimedia fun to the overall game, it opens a major door in terms of security and safety. As more and more people flock to the game, it is becoming more difficult to determine which users are actually playing the Pokémon Go application and which users are using the phone for other purposes. Specifically, a person could open up their video recorder and follow you stating that they are playing the game. Additionally, a person could snap your picture and claim that they were capturing a ball or such.
Overall, the game poses too many problems to be safely integrated into the market place for all users. Older and more responsible users should download and play the game. However, because the game primarily caters to the younger crowd, safeguards and measures should be taken by the development team to minimize the safety risk posed here and elsewhere by the