麻豆影视

Several recent headlines have captured an array of misadventures associated with Nintendo鈥檚 latest smartphone craze: 鈥淢en playing Pokemon Go鈥�; 鈥淔lorida man 鈥�; 鈥淢an playing Pokemon Go.鈥�

But for those players who keep their heads up, Pokemon Go could carry some surprising mental health benefits.

A University of British Columbia psychology associate professor who studies social interactions and their effects on mental health says the social nature of Pokemon Go could be beneficial for some players, particularly those with depression and social anxiety.

鈥淔or individuals with depression, they want to get out in the world and engage and do things, but the depression is really a barrier to everything. It just feels too difficult, too tiring,鈥� Amori Mikami told 麻豆影视.ca.

鈥淭he same thing with social anxiety: they want to get out in the world 鈥� but the barrier is feeling that, 鈥榃hat if I say something or do something wrong? What if I don鈥檛 know how to do the right thing?鈥欌��

The popular augmented reality game plunks players into a world where wild Pokemon can be spotted on a smartphone and captured with the swipe of a finger. Pokemon Go encourages players to get outside and search for gyms, PokeStops and rare Pokemon hidden across town.

For players struggling with depression and social anxiety, this nudge into face-to-face social interaction outdoors could be precisely the motivation they need, Mikami said.

鈥淚 think Pokemon Go provides a way to get over some of those barriers. It鈥檚 a structured and fun activity that really draws you into walking around outside, seeing new places,鈥� she said.

It鈥檚 an experience Mikami knows first-hand. Since the game dropped in Canada on July 17, she鈥檚 already hit level 10.

鈥淚t definitely can draw you into social interactions with other people. For instance, I caught a Pokemon on the street today, it was a very difficult one, and then another player came by and said, 鈥楴ice catch, I just got that one too!鈥欌��

Grab a coffee, catch a Koffing

Some businesses have begun capitalizing off the game鈥檚 amiable nature. In Vancouver, some cafes and restaurants have started setting lure modules -- that is, virtual add-ons that attract Pokemon to a certain area -- at their location to attract customers.

Mikami pointed out the positive social benefits that this kind of structured meet-up can have for some players.

鈥淵ou have an instant entrée of what to start talking about, (and) there鈥檚 an instant way to enter that conversation,鈥� she said.

鈥淎lso, players will tell other players where certain Pokemon are; it鈥檚 not competitive. So when a Pokemon shows up, anyone in that location can catch it, which I think encourages co-operation.鈥�

Pokemon hang-outs have become a common sighting since the game began. In Toronto, hundreds of people gathered at the CN Tower last weekend to celebrate the game鈥檚 Canadian release, and in Montreal dozens of players recently gathered at a park after dark to catch Pokemon.

When to unplug

But there is such a thing as too much Pokemon Go, and Mikami says players should keep a close eye on when enough is enough.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think that there鈥檚 a magic number, in terms of saying this many hours a day is too much for a person,鈥� she said.

鈥淚f you鈥檙e finding that you鈥檙e not getting work done, whether it鈥檚 school work or whether it鈥檚 the professional work, and it鈥檚 starting to interfere with your job or your school productivity, that could be one sign.鈥�

Another sign could be if you鈥檙e avoiding seeing friends that you actually really used to enjoy seeing.鈥�

That in mind, Mikami says that the same advice could be given to someone entering a new romantic relationship or training for a triathlon.

鈥淭hose are things that some people can get really immersed in and really not know when to turn off,鈥� she said.

鈥淚 don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 something that鈥檚 unique to Pokemon Go or to video games. I think any time there is a new engaging activity, there鈥檚 a potential to take it to excess.鈥�

False perceptions of gaming

Mikami has extensively researched human relationships and the way people鈥檚 in-person interactions are reflected in their online habits, particularly on Facebook. In general, she found that people with positive, healthy relationships tend to demonstrate the same behaviours online, and vice versa.

And while she hasn鈥檛 applied formal research techniques to Pokemon Go (鈥淚 only started playing this week鈥�), she cautioned against jumping to conclusions about negative impacts that the new smartphone game could have on players.

鈥淚 think we have, as a society, this presumption that if it鈥檚 a video game or it鈥檚 something online, that the interaction can never be as good quality or can never be as genuine or real or meaningful than something that occurs face to face,鈥� she said.

鈥淓ven the ways some people frame Pokemon Go -- 鈥榃ell, it鈥檚 still a video game but it鈥檚 not as bad as the other video games鈥� -- I don鈥檛 know. I actually take some issue with that whole presumption, because I think there are a lot of benefits to online interactions as something that people probably don鈥檛 give enough credit to.鈥�

For those looking to reap possible physical and mental benefits of the game, Mikami said it鈥檚 all about getting outside and, of course, looking up every once in a while.

鈥淚 think this should go without saying: use common sense when playing. Similar to the way you should use common sense when walking around the world, and not jump on train tracks or walk off cliffs because you鈥檙e not paying attention to where you鈥檙e walking. You know, use common sense,鈥� she said.