Pokémon Go –To the Emergency Room

By, Robert Box

Nintendo’s new game sensation, Pokémon Go, has taken over North America and is sweeping the globe in terms of popularity.  Players get up off the couch and out of the house to find digital creatures in the real world, visible only through smartphones.  In addition to getting some measure of exercise while playing, an unanticipated side effect of the game is emerging -getting injured.
 
Released in North America on July 6th, the free Pokémon Go app makes little digital monsters appear on players’ smartphone screens, through the camera, as players walk through neighborhoods, shopping areas and just about anywhere.  The game quickly shot to the top of the charts for Apple’s free apps and has gathered at least 100,000 downloads on Google’s Play store.
 
The downside to the craze is the number of injuries associated with the game – scores of them in the short time the Pokémon Go game app has been released.  Players walk, ride a bike, skateboard or drive around town with their eyes on their mobile devices instead of where they are going, which leads to incidents –some of them causing severe injuries.
 
Augmented Reality Can Hurt
 
In Japan, the game became officially available on July 21 along with safety warnings issued by the Japanese government, cautioning residents to be mindful of their surroundings when playing the game, but unfortunately not everyone heeded the warning.
 
In less than 1 day from the game’s release, an ambulance was summoned to Kindai University in Osaka because a student fell down a flight of stairs while chasing creatures in the virtual world of a mobile device.  According to Ubergizmo, a tech media forum, the student received serious head injuries and suffered significant loss of blood.  No word on the current medical status of the injured student.
 
In San Diego, California, two men reportedly were playing the game while falling off a 90-foot ocean bluff cliff and had to be rescued.  Thankfully, injuries were minimal for both men.
 
A post on the Pokémon Go subreddit read, “Pokémon Go put me in the ER last night.  Not even 30 minutes after the release last night, I slipped and fell down a ditch,” said the Reddit user. “Fractured the fifth metatarsal bone in my foot, 6-8 weeks for recovery. I told all the doctors I was walking my dog lol… Watch where you’re going, folks!”
 
In the Dallas-Fort Worth area in Texas, the local CBS affiliate reported a poisonous snake bit a teenager in search of a “Pokestop,” just days following the game’s release.
 
A Pokémon Go player in upstate New York, who was not seriously injured, admitted to police he was playing the game while driving as they pulled him from a car that was wrapped around a tree.
 
KPXI-TV in western Pennsylvania reported a 15-year-old girl while playing the game, was injured when she crossed a busy highway and was hit by a car.  Her injuries included cuts and bruises, as well as a fractured collarbone and foot.  Her mother said her daughter is lucky to be alive.
 
Police Report Odd Behaviors
 
Police departments most everywhere report unusual activity in the wake of the Pokémon Go release, including everything from trespassing to armed robbery to finding dead bodies.
 
Texas A&M Police tweeted a photo of an auto collision involving an illegally parked car.  “1st driver had exited to catch a Pokémon,” the Tweet read.
 
Ongoing reports of trespassing incidents have been linked to the game.  One example is Perry Nuclear Power Plant in Ohio that reported to the local Fox News affiliate that three teenagers were caught on the property, attempting to catch Pokémon digital creatures.
 
Two officers in Quebec City, Canada suffered minor injuries when a vehicle they observed being driven oddly reversed into their cruiser in a parking lot.  The driver of the vehicle said, “I’m sorry, I was playing Pokémon Go,” according to Constable Nancy Roussel.
 
Armed robberies of “Pokémon Go” players have been increasingly popular as criminals attempt to capitalize on the game-induced frenzy that seems to cause players to throw caution to the wind.
 
Missouri police report a robbery was committed by luring victims to an isolated area by using the Pokémon Go game.  Four Missouri teenagers robbed Pokémon Go players on July 17 by placing “beacons” in the game and tempting people to walk into isolated locations.  The police reported the teenagers (between the ages of 16 and 18) stole a wallet and a phone.  Since a gun was found in the teenager’s possession, all four were charged with first-degree robbery and armed criminal action.
 
Police in Nebraska reported via social media they were dealing with their first robbery case related to the game late Sunday.  The Tweet read, “We had the first report of robbery while playing Pokemon go in Omaha. Please pay attention to your surroundings. Don’t become a victim.”  No details were given regarding the robbery.
 
The Pokémon Go creatures can be found most anywhere, so players are regularly ranging away from populated areas.  While venturing way off the beaten path, one player made a morbid discovery –a dead body.  “I was trying to get a Pokémon from a natural water resource,” said Shayla Wiggins, the player who found the corpse.  “I was walking towards the bridge along the shore when I saw something in the water.  I had to take a second look and I realized it was a body.”
 
With the risk of life and limb, auto crashes, falling off cliffs, eluding robbers and finding dead bodies, it would seem the real world is far more exhilarating than virtual creature-hunting.  But the reality is –“Reality” is not as cool as Pokémon Go.
 
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) has issued a warning for those who are walking around with their eyes glued to the augmented reality game –be careful!
 
“We love that these games are bringing children and adults outdoors and encouraging exercise,” Dr. Alan S. Hilibrand,” AAOS spokesperson and a Philadelphia-based orthopedic surgeon, said in a press release. “But we also want everyone to be mindful of their surroundings as they enjoy this activity.  Walking while looking at your phone or electronic device can result in sprains, broken bones, and other serious, even fatal, injuries.”
 
Where Might This Trend Take Us?
 
The Pokémon Company said in a statement, “We are constantly looking at ways to add safety features to Pokémon Go and expect to incorporate some features based on user experience into future builds.”
 
With the current structure of the Pokémon Go game, coupled with the reported injuries and criminal activity connected to the game, Nintendo, the maker of the game, may be opening the door for rather large class-action lawsuits.  Legal action may be the fastest track to enhanced safety features implemented by Nintendo.
 
“Death by Pokémon is coming,” cautions Gerry Beyer, Governor Preston E. Smith Regents Professor of Law at Texas Tech University School of Law. “Pokémon users will have all sorts of accidents as they use the program while walking, biking, driving, etc.”
 
Although there have been reports of fatalities in connection with the game, any direct connection to the game are questionable at this point.  However, it would seem obvious that a player fatality is destined to occur, and when it does, the world will surely know about it.
 
Tips for Safe Play
 
Besides not being so enthralled with the game that attention to surroundings is dismissed, there are things players can do to make the experience safer, and ultimately more enjoyable.
 
First, ensure the game is not played unless the user is walking.  Driving, biking, skateboarding, etc. should be avoided while playing the game for hopefully obvious reasons.
 
Second, do not play the game in unfamiliar or isolated areas.
 
Third, play as a team of two or more players.  One player on the team has his or her eyes on the mobile device while the other member(s) on the team are looking at the surroundings for possible hazards.  The team members can alternate looking at the mobile device to share the fun.
 
Like most any guilty pleasure, it’s likely best to indulge in Pokémon Go in small portions of time and to be vigilant to prevent the game from becoming an addiction and possibly a cause of serious injury or death.
 
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