This past weekend, my boss was interrupted by a phone call from her son that he had blown through an exorbitant amount of data in a short time playing a new game called #PokemonGo and we all had a good laugh at his excitement and a few people shared how they knew others that were just as excited for the hunt.
When I laid my head on my pillow that night, I had no idea what awaited me or the fact that about 30 minutes away, my crew was prepping to be the best Pokemon hunters in town. On Sunday, I asked Jim his plans for the day and he responded with, “Going for a bike ride to play Pokemon.”
And suddenly, I saw stars, swirls and all the things as I thought of our data swirling down the drain as my husband ran down the street looking for a new little digital friend to train. And I realized literally everyone and their mother was posting about this game. I could hardly believe the excitement as Jim and the boys walked blocks and blocks for these critters and people were milling about.
Jim mentioned going to find some after the Gym and I was confused as to what he was talking about – he doesn’t have a gym membership!? So when I asked, he then told me and brushed me off, “UGH! That’s where they DO THE BATTLES, SAMANTHA.”
I felt equally dumb and perturbed at his annoyance with my ignorance.
I could hardly believe that people in a matter of a day had literally become so obsessed by this point that they were risking health, wealth, and safety just to find these blasted things. And when I started this Monday, the boys spent a good two hours trying to explain the concept to me and eventually, shooed me away, “You just don’t get it!” And so Google was my friend.
It wasn’t until this:
that I knew we were in so deep. I started envisioning us running down Michigan Avenue like a scene out of Amazing Race trying to collect as many as we could (Do I collect them? Do I throw something at them? I am still so confused as to how I even capture them!)
Would I find one at the store? In someone’s house? On the corner? (Where do they come from? Who puts them there? How does the phone have pictures of everywhere you go?)
What do they look like? Why am I doing battles? Why is my seven year old telling me what a Pidgey is? (It’s a bird by the way).
So after I shared the above status on Facebook, I did the only logical thing I could and reached out to those I love and respect to see just how deep they were in.
From one: “It’s amazeballs! You’re just jealous!!!!”
From another: “I play because my son wants to. PROMISE!”
Third: “Of course I play. It’s AWESOME! What do you take me for?”
And you all know who you are. Don’t even.
And suddenly, my heart great two sizes too small and the circles of friends was suddenly slim. Who were all of these crazies joining in on the frenzy? I reached out to my last resort, my cousin/sister, and she confirmed that we are the same person and also shared, “If you go to the dark side, we are dunzo.”
With each passing moment, I feel like I’m Katniss in the Hunger Games waiting for my final judgement to become tribute. I WILL RESIST EATING THE BERRIES DARNIT.
This Pokemon searching frenzy DOES get people “up and moving!”
I found out from a neighbor that my boys had bicycled and Jim chased them for about two miles. Color me impressed. Screens in their face + getting active while doing it? #Winning
My crew went out again last night and came across an older kid (say 17/18) and a woman with him. She seemed to follow after him and when she saw Charlie turned to the boy she was with and said, “See! You’re too old for this! HE (gesturing to Charlie) is supposed to be doing this, not you!”
YOU GUYS. Even my mom spent about two hours hunting with my nephew yesterday, telling him, “Just a few more!” before he headed out for a sports camp.
Who have we become?!?!
On the plus side, the boys’ room has become a certified PokeStop – Jim: “Go wait there while I finish my dinner and then we’ll go out hunting!” and they seem to be experiencing human bonding with every other Smartphone human walking the streets like something out of The Walking Dead.
And before you start commenting with a bunch of hate, just know that this is all in good fun, but I really am bewildered at the craze.
My only saving grace is my social media addiction – people will never know that I’m not playing! Note to self: Keep my face in my phone, excitedly yell out when I see something cool, and talk to strangers as if I’ve known them for years.
Yep, that should do it.
ha HA! That is wonderful.
I get that it seems crazy and even a little lame, but think of all the good that’s happened! Everyone is outside, moving around. Usually after dinner, my husband is tired from work, and we end up staying inside. He might play video games or something, and Oliver usually plays Minecraft after dinner. For the past week or so, we’ve been getting out of the house daily–going for walks and exploring parks to find new gyms. Yes, there is a phone in our face, and that’s a downside, but I love having this game to play as a whole family. Even Jo likes catching the Pokemon 🙂 And Oliver gets into the battles!