My theory of Pokemon Go

Are you (Pokemon) going these days? It seems like so many people are. Even people who would never download a game or who limit phone-based game play to Bejeweled and Word with Friends, seem to be walking around, head down, arm with phone outstretched in quasi-zombielike manner, searching for Pokemon.

In just a few short weeks, Pokemon Go has infiltrated our society. There are news stories documenting various components P-Go phenomenon:

· The plight of people whose homes ended up being Pokestops or Gyms

· The people who found a dead body, an ill dog, and so much more on their hunts

· The positive effects of the game, getting people off the couch and walking on the streets

· Community-wide Pokemon Go events

· South Korean players who flock to the small corner of their country where they can play

It seems like everyone is playing. Even I downloaded Pokemon Go. And played it (for a bit). And followed the news. All of this despite not really knowing what Pokemon are, nor really caring.

(I do know some people who are not playing. And who won’t play. But they seem to be getting some enjoyment out of making fun of the P-Go players, posting covertly taken pictures of them in zombie-pose to Facebook, or sharing funny signs that were purportedly posted by businesses to tell employees Pokemon NO. Pretty sure these folks are having fun with the phenomenon in their own way.)

So what is this all about? Is it really about a super compelling game with little creatures dotted around town (Chick-Fil-A is just teeming with Rattata, by the way) that we all want to catch? Is it about getting fit and having fun at the same time? Are the Pokemon just that irresistible? I think not. I think there is another reason why we’re all crazed about it.

I think that we are reacting to the world around us. This world has just been so angry and uncertain this summer. Every time you check the news, there’s another story of an attack, a shooting, people being mistreated. It’s painful. It’s fatiguing. And then there are is the political scene, in the midst of a presidential election year here in the US, leading into conventions … and those politics are just ugly and depressing.

So my theory is that Pokemon Go came around at just the right time. As we followed the news of the tragedies, up popped the news of the Pokemon. They happened in parallel with each other. Whereas the actual world news was depressing day after day, the Pokemon Go news was quirky. Unexpected. Amusing. And so it caught on. First it was the true Pokemon fans, and the people whose kids begged them to try. But then the rest of us started to download the app and explore our towns. It costs nothing. You get to catch (catch! not kill!) Pokemon. Under your care they can evolve. You visit Pokestops and get free stuff (balls! eggs!). And even when you go to a gym and do battle, the Pokemon don’t die. You can revive them — and the potion is free at a Pokestop!

Pokemon Go. It’s a beacon of hope in the midst of a summer of dismal news.