It's everywhere, being played by everyone, of all ethnicities and social backgrounds. It's massive!
Like most things that become a phenomenon, it has garnered its share of detractors. These people aren't really all that concerned with the very real danger of people who get so involved in the game, they walk out into traffic - seriously you bunch of Darwin Award hopefuls, don't play in traffic! Christ! No. These people are decrying the game because it's stupid for stupid people and everyone who plays it is stupid. Intellectualism is dead! they cry. Society has at last crumbled. We as a species are doomed! LOOK AT THOSE PEASANTS OUT THERE... HAVING FUN... THE GALL! THE GAAAAAALLLLLL!
Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck off!
I am so fucking tired of this idiotic elitism designed to crush fun from the world. These pseudo-intellectuals are not all the intellectual colossi they think they are. Anyone with half a brain would know better than to try and elevated themselves by dragging others down by attacking their unironic joy in a thing.
Here is your public service announcement, you humourless douche-canoes, doing this doesn't make you look intelligent. It makes you look like a right cu... rappy person.
There are so many awesome stories (and a few not so awesome ones) coming out of the Pokémon Go launch.
I read a post where the user detailed his story of a 3am jaunt that got a cop playing the game. Here it is:
This "society ending" game is quite literally bringing people together, finding a common ground between social classes and sub-cultures. They're out, meeting people, fucking BONDING, engaging in non-violent, friendly competition. How is this society ending? How is this the death of civilisation?
It's not.
People are outside, walking or biking for miles on the hunt for pokémon. They're exercising! This might be the greatest unintentional health fad of all time!
Better yet, there are players reporting that Pokémon Go has done more for their depression and anxiety in one week than a lifetime of therapy and medication.
But yes, tell me again how Pokémon Go is the worst thing to happen to society since the vote for women.
Fuck.
Sure, there are some not so great things about it, like the aforementioned playing in traffic, or those morons who set an in-game lure at a location in order to lure pokémon and thus people trying to catch them in order to rob said people.
Still, overall, Pokémon Go has been a spectacular thing for people. It truly is a phenomenon, and it has been wildly beneficial in all kinds of unexpected ways. I think it's marvellous.
I don't play Pokémon Go. I have no intentions of playing Pokémon Go. But just because it's not my thing doesn't mean I have the right to shit on someone else's joy. And neither do you.
Look, I consider myself an intellectual. I love having debates about tricky subjects with my friends, and I love discussing deep things over a glass of wine.. or whiskey, like the meaning of life or human behaviour or if there is a god or not. Learning is my thing. But even I recognise something.
That something is the value of fun, the value of play.
To try and strip the joy from the world isn't intellectual. It's at worst cruel and at best moronic. This bizarre elitism is nothing more than an uncertain ego clamouring for superiority. Here's the thing, though, that superiority is absolutely, categorically false. You aren't superior if you don't play or even like Pokémon Go. You're just different. And just because a lot of people really love a certain thing, doesn't mean that thing is suddenly without value and those who don't love it are a special few.
GET OVER YOURSELVES.
Not everyone is going to be an Einstein... and even Einstein had a greater sense of fun and play than you pathetic sods. Now shut up and go find something to play. You'll be less miserable in general, I'd wager.