Resistance is futile. Pokemon-Go is coming in six weeks. (File photo)
Here comes the tune. And queue in the guitar solo.
“I want to be the very best like no one ever was. To catch them is my real test. To train them is my cause.”
It’s an anthem of the old Pokemon anime that’s most befitting and most self-explaining of the augmented reality game Pokemon Go, which has taken the world by a storm ever since its release merely weeks ago. Everybody wants to be the very best, no matter what this will eventually cost.
And the cost unfortunately has been high so far. There was a major highway accident in Massachusetts after a man stopped his car mid-road to catch the game’s iconic character Pikachu. Another player collided into a police car in Baltimore while driving and playing the game at the same time. These stunts have since sparked a hashtag #dontPokemongoanddrive on social media.
That’s not where the casualty stops, though. Two men were so engrossed in their Pokemon hunt that they fell off a cliff in California. Another two teenagers hunting for the same virtual creatures at 1.30am in Orlando were mistaken for burglars and got some bullets flying over their heads by the homeowner.
Furthermore, there is now possibly one death associated with the game. An 18-year-old was ambushed and gunned down in Guatemala as he was searching for Pokemon with his cousin. The cause of the attack was unclear, though police speculated that the attackers may have found the two teens through the app itself with its location features.
Aside from the physical harm players could inflict upon themselves and others, not many realised their privacy is also being threatened through the game.
By using the app, all players agree to share their information with Niantic, the company that’s responsible for the game. Their locations and movement pattern are just among many other personal data being collected and handed over. The game also can access the players’ camera, storage, contacts and more. It’s all laid out in the fine print of the terms and conditions nobody cares to read. The worst thing is we have no idea how the company will be using this data in the future, or even right now. What if they sell it? What if the data fall into the wrong hands? The possibilities are scary.
But, even with this knowledge in mind, how many people would actually turn away from the game? Not many. And while you may think we are trying to scare people away by bashing the game, we’re not. We’re excited about the game too. But it is everybody’s right to know fully what they’re getting themselves into. That is how people make an informed decision. They should know their free-to-play game comes with a hefty price tag. Is this a trade you are willing to make? Many will say yes without a moment of hesitation.
While we, the people of Thailand, wait anxiously for the game, we also dread its descent upon us because for themselves and others. The level of recklessness and the length some people would go in order to “catch them all” is unfathomable, as can be seen in the cases mentioned previously. And there will surely be even worse and stranger accidents forthcoming if players continue to glue themselves to their screens and remain ignorant of their surroundings.
For those who will be downloading the game when it becomes available in Thailand, take this piece of advice: be mindful and aware at all time you’re on the Pokemon hunt. Reality must come first, not the augmented one. Don’t throw away precautions, common sense and logic the moment you spot a rare find.
Safety should be everyone’s number one concern. Watch the road. Put away the phone during driving or crossing the streets. Don’t get run over by tuk-tuks. You won’t be able to catch anything if your body is splattered on the asphalt, or if your car is being rammed into the back of a truck.
This source first appeared on Bangkok Post Lifestyle.