Hype about new Pokémon app: This should be considered by parents

What is this about?

To the new game hit for the smartphone. Everyone wants? Pokémon GO? to have. So far, there is the so-called "augmented reality" game only in the US, Australia and New Zealand? And yet, the number of users is almost as big as the total of Twitter!

When does the game come to Germany?

Actually, it should have been in the Apple App Store and Google Play? but the start was postponed, because the interest is so huge. Nintendo feared that the servers would not stand the onslaught. But since July 13, it is finally available in German stores.

What is so great about the app?

It transmits the popular monster-catching into real life. The location is your own environment (city, park, forest, etc.), through which the player moves. You look while walking through the camera of the smartphone and discover the monsters that seem to hide under the bush or the park bench. And: sitting around at home and daddling is not here. You really have to move to get ahead in the game. So do not be surprised if you soon see more people running around staring at their cell phone.

A small impression you get in this clip from Nintendo:

What should I know if my child wants to play the app?

In fact, there are a few things that you should consider before downloading and discuss with your child.

1. Eyes open in the traffic! As you might have guessed, running your eyes around on your smartphone is not without its dangers. In the eagerness of the game ("there's a monster behind the intersection !?) you might quickly forget that there are cars and other obstacles and run blind on the road. So warn your children that there are not five lives in reality.
2. Wrong tracks: According to tests of Spiegel Online, GPS positioning is not always perfect. So a monster can sometimes be in the middle of a construction site. Even then, the fun hunting for children suddenly becomes a danger.
3. Huh, where am I? Some players are so engrossed and fixated on the hunt that they do not even notice where they are going. Since you can quickly land in lonely, seedy areas? or get lost. It is best, therefore, when the children go out in groups. There are already unsightly reports from the US: In Wyoming, a teenager has found a body in search of Pokémon in the river. In Missouri, there were several robberies, because a gang of teenagers users with "lock modules"? lured to certain places from the game. There are already warnings from the police on Facebook:

   UPDATE INFORMATION BELOW-This morning at about 2 Armed Robbery near the ...

   
   
   Posted by O'Fallon Missouri Police Department on Sunday, July 10, 2016
4. data protection is as often a critical topic. The game works via GPS tracking. So you have to be aware that the game provider can theoretically track where the player is.
5. Cost traps: The app itself costs nothing, but special, virtual equipment for the player. And children are known to be pretty hot. So make sure you can not shop in the store without your permission.
6. battery empty: The app eats a lot of energy. Since the phone quickly goes out, and already the child can no longer reach the parents (and vice versa). Get a mobile charger.
7. Make yourself smart! The Family Online Safety Institute? In Washington, parents recommend playing the game with the kids. Only then can you fully understand what the children are doing and assess any risks. Basically, the experts also see advantages of the "Augmented Reality" game: you do not play it alone and isolated at home, but mostly with others? and comes in the fresh air.

See The Dangers Of The 'Pokemon Go' Game Everyone Is Obsessed With (May 2024).