We’ve all seen it: Pokémon Go users are everywhere! Since it’s launch earlier this month, we have seen people everywhere, more enraptured by their smart phones than ever before, playing the game with a joyous enthusiasm.
The engagement in Pokémon Go is paying off in physical activity. Tracking devices such as Jawbone have seen a major increase in physical activity since the game was launched:
We have never seen any public policy or population based strategy have such an incredible effect on physical activity. I had a patient in my office this week (who had just found a Pokémon under my examination table) tell me that the game had caused her family’s 15 minute walk to turn into a 45 minute adventure where the family enjoyed extra fun time together, and a whole lot more exercise! These stories are abundant on social media. So cool!
I felt like a massive LED light went on in my brain when I heard about this game – of course! What a great way to motivate activity, by blending a fun smartphone game with real life exercise. While this particular game may be a fad, I’m sure that other games are now in hot pursuit to develop the next ones. I hope that this is the beginning of what may be one of the most successful (and hopefully sustainable) population level ‘interventions’ to motivate physical activity.
A note to be careful when using this or other games – there have been reports of people falling off of cliffs and standing in freeways playing the game, or playing the game in sensitive places like graveyards – do be careful and mindful when you are enjoying your Pokémon Go adventures.