The summer of 2016 was like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Every time I left my house, no matter where I was, there were tons of people outside playing on their phones. While some people thought that everyone walked around looking down at their phones was depressing, I thought it was amazing because, still to this day, I’ve never seen so many people outside connecting with each other than I did the summer that “Pokémon Go” came out. As the years went on, the game’s popularity died down, and now it’s hard to find people who still play. There have definitely been months at a time where I stopped playing just because I either got too busy and forgot about it or was simply disinterested. However, this year, in particular, I’ve rekindled my interest and dedication to this game.
With the pandemic, it’s been hard to find ways to get myself out of the house and moving around. Playing “Pokémon Go” has become my latest excuse for getting myself outside and exercising. It’s become fun for me to get as many steps as I can because the game counts your kilometers walked, helping you get more items and more Pokémon hatching from eggs. I’ve even gotten to explore and interact with my surroundings more. If you’ve never played this game, now is a great time to start because with the holiday season coming up, there will be a lot of seasonally themed events where you can get special pokémon or limited edition items.
The game itself has changed a lot since its release, with there now being more features that make the game more social. Trust me when I say that there’s more to it than just walking around catching Pokémon. For example, when the game first came out, a lot of people wanted to be able to trade Pokémon, and now that feature has finally been implemented. I’ve managed to convince some of my friends to download the game too and play with me, which makes it more sociable and fun. While I’m at college, it even allows me to connect with my family back home because I can bond with my siblings by sending each other gifts and battling in raids together.
I haven’t been seeing too many people outside as of recently, which is most likely attributed to the pandemic. I honestly miss when this game first came out and how easy it was for people everywhere to connect with each other over it. Once you start playing, it’s honestly really fun and is a nice outlet from the stress of work and school. Having this game on your phone that practically requires movement in real-time is a good way to avoid staying cooped up inside all day. It’s pretty easy to get into, so you don’t need to worry about learning anything complicated. If you ever need an excuse to get some fresh air or get your body moving, I highly recommend downloading “Pokémon Go” and playing with your friends.