Pokémon GO
Pokémon GO began as an April Fool’s joke. Notorious for annual pranks, Google released a high-energy video advertising a job opening for a “Pokémon Master” on April 1, 2014. The video featured an Indiana Jones-type explorer traversing the world, scaling mountains and riding camels through deserts, in search of wild Pokémon, the cartoon monsters from the hit Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) of the same name. Applicants who caught all 150 Pokémon, using Google Maps of course, would be invited to Google headquarters for the final round of hiring. Inspired by the prank, John Hanke, chief executive of game-developer Niantic Labs, asked his colleagues if Google’s fake game “could be done in the real world.” The rest is history.[39]
Launched in 2016, Pokémon GO is an app-based game that revolutionized gaming using augmented reality (AR), a technology that enhances our vision of the world by overlaying computer-generated images and content on the scene when viewed through devices such as smartphones, tablets, smart glasses, and headsets. The market value of Nintendo, the company that created the game, grew by $9 billion within five days of the game’s release. Within a month of the game’s release, it had earned five Guinness World Records, including most revenue and downloads generated by a mobile game in its first month. Pokémon GO was downloaded more than 500 million times in the first year. The game has since been downloaded more than a billion times, demonstrating astounding worldwide reach and impact.[1][2][41][42][43]
The basic premise of the game is for players to capture Pokémon in a scavenger hunt that uses their mobile devices’ GPS to explore their surroundings in the real world, bringing the experience of indoor gaming to the outdoors. “Gotta catch ’em all” is the slogan of the Pokémon game franchise, and some players take the imperative more seriously than others. After the game’s release in the United States on July 6, 2016, a 28-year-old man in Brooklyn played the game obsessively and collected all 142 Pokémon then available, becoming the first person to do so; the feat took him two weeks and “sleepless nights and full days spent on ‘Poké walks’” through the streets and parks of New York City. In 2022, another gamer accomplished the feat of collecting all Pokémon available from all Pokémon games (not just Pokémon GO), which included 905 Pokémon and every gender and regional variant for a total of 1,244 creatures; the feat took the gamer more than a decade to complete.[3][44][45]
Although Pokémon GO generates few headlines today, the game still attracts a massive global audience, including more than 50 million users in July 2025 alone. The game was especially popular during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, earning some $445.3 million via micro-transactions within the game for the first six months of that year. And the game continues to evolve, with the release of new creatures and events, including the annual “Festival of Lights,” featuring glowing Pokémon and special challenges.[18][33][34][35][40]
The popularity of the game begs the question: Is playing Pokémon GO good for society? Explore the debate below.
Pros and Cons at a Glance
| PROS | CONS |
|---|---|
| Pro 1: There are mental and physical health benefits from playing the game. Read More. | Con 1: Playing the game has led to injuries, even deaths. Read More. |
| Pro 2: The game has brought people together, creating a sense of community. Read More. | Con 2: The app encourages unhealthy impulses and gaming in inappropriate places. Read More. |
| Pro 3: The game has been a boon to local businesses. Read More. | Con 3: The app can spur gaming disorders, privacy concerns, and criminal activity. Read More. |
Pro Arguments
(Go to Con Arguments)Pro 1: There are mental and physical health benefits from playing the game.
Walking around is necessary to play the game, and users are getting physical health benefits from the exercise.[4]
The 63-year-old Robin Tarry told the BBC that the game has encouraged he and his wife to walk about 30 miles a week, helping him lose about 42 pounds and manage his diabetes.[19]
One user told BuzzFeed,
I have struggled with motivation and energy since I was 9, when I developed severe depression. . . . But as soon as I got Pokémon GO I was able to leave the house, and I walked outside for hours and suddenly found myself enjoying it. I had the instant rush of dopamine whenever I caught a Pokémon, and I wanted to keep going. Then today and yesterday I purposely put myself in social situations, going to the mall, just to play.[5]
Pro 2: The game has brought people together, creating a sense of community.
By exploring their neighborhoods and cities and sharing information about where to find Pokémon, players are interacting with others, creating a beneficial sense of community.
One player tweeted about a late-night experience during which he befriended two other players of a different race and age group. While they were talking, they were approached by a police officer. After they explained the game to him, the officer also started playing.[6]
“[O]verall, this is a positive moment, a moment of real community and good feelings all thanks to a mobile game and some adorable Pokémon,” wrote Forbes contributor Erik Kain.[7]
During the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, Niantic (the parent company of Pokémon GO) enhanced the game’s virtual social features so players could more easily connect in-game when they couldn’t as easily explore their physical communities. A bonus to these adjustments is that they allow for easier play for people with disabilities, expanding the gaming community.[20][21]
Pro 3: The game has been a boon to local businesses.
As people explore their towns while playing the app, they are discovering new shops, restaurants, and more. This increase in foot traffic is a boon to businesses.
“With Pokémon GO, businesses have an unprecedented opportunity to create strong emotional bonds with new customers, and for very little money,” said business expert Walter Chen. Some stores around the country have reported an increase in sales between 5 and 30 percent.[8][9]
When local businesses began to close during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, Niantic launched the Local Business Recovery Initiative on June 15, 2020. Players nominated their favorite local small businesses to have a storefront integrated into the Pokémon GO app for a year for free.[22]
Con Arguments
(Go to Pro Arguments)Con 1: Playing the game has led to injuries, even deaths.
According to news reports, users have tripped, fallen into a lake, crashed a car, fallen on railroad tracks resulting in an amputated leg, and sustained other injuries while playing the game. According to Pokémon Go Death Tracker, as of July 15, 2024, there had been 25 deaths and 64 injuries among the game’s players.[10][11][23][24]
The National Safety Council released a statement urging people to be more cautious while playing Pokémon GO, saying in part, “Reports of close calls associated with playing Pokémon GO already are rolling in. The Council urges gamers to consider safety over their scores before a life is lost. No race to ‘capture’ a cartoon monster is worth a life.” [12]
Head and neck injuries due to distracted drivers spiked after the launch of Pokémon GO. Distracted users are also inflicting injury on others. A driver playing Pokémon GO struck and killed an 85-year-old woman in Japan. [25][26]
Con 2: The app encourages unhealthy impulses and gaming in inappropriate places.
As Encyclopaedia Britannica notes,
some adults protested the implicit message that it was all right for humans to capture and enslave sentient beings (the Pokémon had free will and rudimentary language), and others thought that the fantastic nature of the creatures promoted occult beliefs and practices.[38]
Moreover, in their quest to capture creatures, players have failed to respect their surroundings. For example, players have captured Pokémon in the emergency room, birthing rooms, the Auschwitz Nazi death camp, funerals, and on an active battlefield near Mosul, among others. Some players of the game even cheer out loud in these solemn settings upon capturing a Pokémon. [27][46]
Arlington National Cemetery, U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, the 9/11 Memorial in New York City all released statements saying playing Pokémon GO or similar games was inappropriate on the premises.[13][14][15]
Con 3: The app can spur gaming disorders, privacy concerns, and criminal activity.
Hit games like Pokémon GO can contribute to digital addiction and gaming disorder. According to one study, up to nine percent of players of the game fit the criteria for the disorder. Gaming disorder is defined by the World Health Organization as
pattern of gaming behavior (‘digital-gaming’ or ‘video-gaming’) characterized by impaired control over gaming, increasing priority given to gaming over other activities to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other interests and daily activities, and continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences.[47][36]
There are also many privacy concerns with geolocation technology. As AI engineer Jesus Olivera has warned, many app companies that “track geolocation data and provide services around it operate discreetly in the background, potentially capturing data without the individual’s knowledge or consent.” [37]
Distracted players of Pokémon GO on “Poké walks” have also been victims of assorted crimes, including beatings, robberies, stabbings, and shootings. Four teens in Missouri were arrested on suspicion of committing at least ten armed robberies by using the app to lure users to a specific location. [16][17][23][28][29][30][31][32]
Assessment Quiz
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1-minute Survey
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Discussion Questions
- Has Pokémon GO been good for society? Explain your answer.
- Can video games improve physical and mental health? Why or why not?
- What rules should people follow when playing location-based games such as Pokémon GO? Explain your answer.
Take Action
- Examine the brain benefits of Pokémon GO for people on the autism spectrum at the University of Utah.
- Consider the public health implications of Pokémon GO at the American Journal of Public Health.
- Analyze the dangers of Pokémon GO with the American Safety Council.
- Consider how you felt about the issue before reading this article. After reading the pros and cons on this topic, has your thinking changed? If so, how? List two to three ways. If your thoughts have not changed, list two to three ways your better understanding of the “other side of the issue” now helps you better argue your position.
- Push for the position and policies you support by writing U.S. senators and representatives.
Sources
- Darrell Etherington, “Pokémon GO Adds $9B to Nintendo’s Value, Global Rollout Continues This Week" (July 11, 2016), techcrunch.com
- Owebest, “Pokémon GO: Downloads, Revenue & Usage Statistics 2024" (May 15, 2024), owebest.com
- German Lopez, “Pokémon GO, Explained" (July 13, 2016), vox.com
- Andrew Richdale, “Is Pokémon GO Good for Travel?" (July 12, 2016), afar.com
- Alicia Melville-Smith, “Playing Pokémon GO Is Helping People with Mental Health Issues Feel Better" (July 10, 2016), buzzfeed.com
- Mark Molloy, “Man Searching for Pokémon at 3am Caught Up in ‘Drug Deal’ Mix-Up" (July 10, 2016), telegraph.co.uk
- Erik Kain, “ ‘Pokémon GO’ Is More Than Just a Game and It’s Bringing People Together” (July 11, 2016), forbes.com
- Walter Chen, “How Pokémon GO Is Driving Insane Amounts of Sales at Small, Local Businesses" (July 11, 2016), inc.com
- Dylan Segelbaum, “ ‘Pokémon GO’ Helps Sales at Some Local Businesses" (July 12, 2016), ydr.com
- Andrea Park, “Pokémon GO Users Are Reporting Injuries, Car Crashes and Sunburns in Their Quests to ‘Catch ’Em All’” (July 12, 2016), people.com
- Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, “Gotta Soak ’Em All! Pokémon GO Hunter Falls into Pond While Playing" (July 12, 2016), cnet.com
- National Safety Council, “Statement from the National Safety Council on Pokémon GO Safety Concerns" (July 12, 2016), prnewswire.com
- Arlington National Cemetery, “ANC Policy Regarding Pokémon GO & Other Smartphone Gaming" (July 12, 2016), arlingtoncemetery.mil
- Allana Akhtar, “Holocaust Museum, Auschwitz Want Pokémon GO Hunts Out" (July 13, 2016), usatoday.com
- Melissa Chan, “Pokémon GO Players Anger 9/11 Memorial Visitors: ‘It’s a Hallowed Place’ ” (July 12, 2016), time.com
- Ryan W. Miller, “Teens Used Pokémon GO App to Lure Robbery Victims, Police Say" (July 11, 2016), usatoday.com
- Philadelphia Police Department 35th District (July 10, 2016), twitter.com
- Kim Key, “Who Is Still Playing Pokémon GO?" (July 8, 2020), screenrant.com
- Ryan Craddock, “Pokémon GO Players Share Stories of Improved Health and Social Lives" (January 2, 2020), nintendolife.com
- Niantic, “Embracing Real-World Gaming from Home" (March 30, 2020), nianticlabs.com
- Bryant Francis, “How Pokémon GO Evolved in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic" (August 5, 2020 ), gamasutra.com
- Moor Insights and Strategy and Zane Pickett, “Pokémon GO-Vid: Niantic, Inc. Launches Local Business Recovery Initiative" (July 12, 2020), forbes.com
- Pokémon GO Death Tracker (accessed November25, 2025), pokemongodeathtracker.com
- Chris Baynes, “Man Has Leg Amputated After Falling on to Railway Tracks While Playing Pokémon GO" (December 3, 2018), independent.co.uk
- Japan Today, “85-Year-Old Woman Fatally Struck by Driver Playing Pokémon GO" (April 16, 2018), japantoday.com
- Patti Verbanas, “Phone Distraction Injuries Spiked at Pokémon GO Launch" (December 8, 2019), nextgov.com
- Neal Augenstein, “Who Thought It Was a Good Idea to Put ‘Pokémon GO’ in the Holocaust Museum?” (July 15, 2016), wtop.com
- Tita Smith, “Pokémon GO Player Who Was Hunting for Pikachu Is Knifed in the Neck After He Refused to Give a Stranger $5 and a Cigarette" (February 12, 2020), msn.com
- Libor Jany, “Pokémon GO Player, Pregnant Woman Victims of Minneapolis Weekend Shootings, Police Say" (November 19, 2018), startribune.com
- Jez Hemming, “Pokémon GO Player Punched and Kicked in ‘Nasty, Cowardly’ Street Attack" (July 23, 2019), dailypost.co.uk
- Michael McDevitt, “A Vigil for a Friend Follows Second Rogers Park Murder in Two Days" (October 2, 2018), loyolaphoenix.com
- Mariel Padilla, “Woman Playing Pokémon GO Is Killed After Witnessing Robbery, Police Say" (October 22, 2019), nytimes.com
- Statista, “Global Pokémon GO Downloads Worldwide from 3rd Quarter 2016 to 2nd Quarter 2023" (August 7, 2023), statista.com
- Pokémon GO Live, “Tadbulb Makes Its Illuminating Debut During the Festival of Lights!" (October 25, 2023), Pokémongolive.com
- Sports Illustrated, “Pokémon GO Festival of Lights 2023: All Timed Research Tasks" (November 7, 2023), videogames.si.com
- World Health Organization, “Addictive Behaviours: Gaming Disorder" (October 22, 2020), who.int
- Jesus Olivera, “From Pokémon to Privacy: Understanding Geolocation Data Regulations" (July 8, 2024), medium.com
- Britannica Editors, “Pokémon" (accessed January 31, 2025), britannica.com
- Travis M. Andrews, “Pokémon GO: The April Fools’ Joke That Became a Global Obsession" (July 13, 2016 ), washingtonpost.com
- Active Player, “Pokémon GO Live Player Count and Statistics" (August 6, 2025), activeplayer.io
- Sarah Perez, “Pokémon GO Tops Twitter’s Daily Users, Sees More Engagement Than Facebook" (July 13, 2016), techcrunch.com
- Rachel Swatman, “Pokémon GO Catches Five New World Records" (August 10, 2016), guinnessworldrecords.com
- Joseph Schwartz, “Pokémon GO: The Data Behind America’s Latest Obsession" (July 10, 2016), similarweb.com
- Linh Tran, “Pokémon GO Got Brooklyn Man Going, He Says He Got ‘Em All" (July 25, 2016), cnn.com
- Michael Eugene Arrieta JR, “Pokémon Fan Has Caught All the Pokémon" (May 24, 2022), gamerant.com
- Evan Dashevsky, “18 Completely Inappropriate Places to Play Pokémon GO" (July 26, 2016), pcmag.com
- Jeroen S. Lemmens, “Caught Them All: Gaming Disorder, Motivations for Playing and Spending Among Core Pokémon GO Players" (March 2023), Entertainment Computing, sciencedirect.com