“Pokémon Go” Dangers

Just when we thought Pokémon was a thing of the past… Instead, the headlines read, “’Pokemon Go’ could boost Apple Sales by $3 billion,” more than the sales of Sony![1] What a money-making app this is!

But at what cost? Nothing less than the cost of our young people walking in front of cars, falling into ditches, and even being robbed and killed.

According to Fox News, “The ‘Pokemon Go’ craze reportedly claimed its first fatal victim when an 18-year-old playing the game was ambushed in Guatemala. The teenager died after being shot, according to news reports. There have also been multiple reports of ‘Pokemon Go’ players falling victim to robberies and assaults.”[2]

Being lured into purchasing the game under the premise that it will get our children off the computer and out into the world is ridiculous. In my humble opinion, the game is simply a means to make money at the cost of our children’s safety.

When my children were younger, they played with Pokémon toys and trading cards. They also played Pokémon video games. It seemed innocent enough. That is, until my son became addicted to video games. At the age of 25, he still plays video games more than I want to admit.

We need to monitor what our children watch and play, and we need to be aware of who it is they hang out with. Something that appears innocent enough can turn out to be a seed of destruction planted by the evil one. Proverbs 14:12 warns us, “There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.”

“Pokémon Go” can be dangerous if not monitored. If you let your young children play the game, please play it with them so that you can keep an eye out for their safety. Make it a family event. Or better yet, instead of playing “Pokémon Go,” encourage your children to play outdoors by going to the beach or to the park, or by going on a nature walk and looking for real animals!

[1] http://finance.yahoo.com/news/pokemon-apple-revenue-000000836.html;_ylt=AwrC0COlsZNXRUgA3_jQtDMD;_ylu=X3oDMTByNXM5bzY5BGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwMzBHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzcg–

[2] http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2016/07/22/how-pokemon-go-is-taking-tech-into-dangerous-uncharted-waters.html