Electronic games like Pokémon Go are great for distracting the mind, occupying free time and improving memory and concentration. However, to achieve this goal it is important not to spend more than 2 hours a day playing, to avoid the harms that this type of game can also bring to health.
Pokémon Go is an electronic game that can be played on the smartphone with Android or IOS, tablet or Ipad, which combines the real world with virtual. But to catch small creatures and thus get more points in the game may need to face risky situations like having to cross streets or put in sparsely populated places, which may not be safe in real life, with the risk of falls or robberies, for example.
Check out the pros and cons of games like Pokémon Go:
Positive aspects
1. It promotes learning
It is a good stimulus for the brain, being useful for speeding up nerve connections and facilitating learning. In addition, this type of electronic game favors strategic planning, logical thinking, and decision-making in the virtual world that may also reflect in real life.
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2. Improves blood circulation
In the case of Pokémon Go there is also the benefit of walking, which stimulates blood circulation and fights sedentary life, making the person more open-air, moving and exposed to the sun, which can be beneficial to the bones.
3. Combat idleness and increase productivity
This type of game still has the benefit of keeping the person occupied both physically and mentally, which can be beneficial to overcome emotional barriers and to avoid obsessing over the same thinking over and over again that can even disrupt one's life.
4. Lets you know new locations
In the game it is necessary to walk to certain places to obtain of reward essential objects, like Pokébolas or Potions. In most cases, these locations are marked at strategic points on the map that include historical or cultural buildings. Thus, when playing it is possible to know a little more of the sights and cultural of the city, since it is necessary to go to that point to win the reward.
5. Promotes social interaction
Due to the presence of fixed points scattered across the map, the game Pokémon Go has increased the number of groups that gather in the street to hunt pokémons near them. In these groups people can talk to each other to exchange game tips and thus develop new friendships.
Negative aspects
1. Causes pain in the neck and back
Despite all the above benefits, as you need to keep looking at the screen of the cell phone while you walk, there is a greater risk of developing poor posture because the head is facing forward and down. In this position, the head can carry a weight of about 13 kg on the column, 8 kg more than what happens when the head is centralized to the body. In this way, there may be intense pain in the neck and also in the middle of the back.
2. Increases the risk of accidents
The game requires a higher level of concentration on the screen of the cell phone and, in this way, it becomes more difficult to be aware of what is happening around, increasing the risk of falls or run over. Also, as it is necessary to walk, many people are choosing to play while driving, which can lead to traffic accidents.
3. Impairs vision
The proximity of the screen and the eyes forces the vision in only one direction, which ends up being detrimental to the eye because gradually one can lose the peripheral vision and also in the distance. In addition, because it requires more concentration the player stays with his eyes open longer and blinks less, which ends up favoring dry eyes that can bring pain and visual discomfort.
4. It can cause addiction
Because it provides pleasure and the possibility of escape from reality, there is also the risk of being addicted to the game and of delaying activities and decisions related to real life. As the brain likes the kind of positive reward, at every stage of the game, one prefers to spend hours playing and being successful virtually from studying or working, especially if they are not happy with these activities.
5. Increases the risk of depression
Other negative aspects of electronic games are the reduction of maximum attention time, favoring antisocial behavior and, in addition, there may be a risk of confusion between reality and virtual world, which leads to depression in children, adolescents and young people.
How to make the most of the game without harming your health
To enjoy all the benefits that this type of game brings, without the damages that can be caused, one must be careful and not spend more than 2 hours a day playing, in moments interspersed and always be attentive to their physical, mental and emotional security .
Talking with classmates, workmates, and family can also be helpful in finding out if you are already addicted, are putting your life in danger, or if there has been a change in your behavior after you started playing that kind of game.
