‘Pokémon GO’: Three Reasons Why It’s Dangerous To Play

Pokémon GO has officially swept the world of gaming off its feet and has quickly become a world-wide phenomenon. People of all ages are tuning into the world of Pokémon every single day. While there are many positives that came out of the creation of Pokémon GO, there are also many negatives.

Gamers are traveling far and wide to try to capture Pokémon that are located in specific places. All of this traveling is great from one standpoint because the game doesn’t encourage players to sit down. While encouraging gamers to be active is great, Pokémon GO is increasingly becoming very dangerous. Here are three reasons why Pokémon GO may put its players at risk.

Players May Be Catching Pokémon and Driving

Believe it or not, this is actually a thing. Players are beginning to make their lives easier and trying to catch Pokémon in a faster way. The game has become so addicting that players are trying to catch as many Pokémon as they possibly can. What’s a faster way to travel and reach new places? Using a bike, car, or other forms of transportation. Looking down at your phone and operating any sort of machinery is life-threatening.

Driving and playing Pokémon GO can get people killed, literally. The local police stations surely are notified of the matter by now. There are gamers pulled over on almost every corner of parks, ponds, and even beaches. It’s even dangerous to play the game and walk on the sidewalk at this point. Pokémon GO forces you to look down at your phone while walking because a Pokémon could appear at any second. This is the most dangerous for children who aren’t as aware of this as adults are.

#PokemonGo: Privacy problems, robbery and more real-world hazards of the catch 'em all craze https://t.co/GXn3LozmxZ pic.twitter.com/jo20wTVB5c

— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) July 13, 2016

Pokémon GO May Lead You To Dangerous Areas

In order to catch Pokemon, the user has to go to specific places. There are multiple Pokéstops that consist of local stores, libraries, landmarks, and churches. These places are usually harmless, but no one playing the game probably thought it can lead to harm. Pokémon GO has also reportedly led players to real-life dangers, including an armed robbery, according to CNN.

The game has a feature known as a “lure” that calls Pokémon to where the “lure” is placed. The so-called armed robbers used the games’ “lure” feature to trick a few teenagers into coming into a place where they would be ambushed. Playing this game at night is probably not best for the younger gamers for reasons like this.

Pokémon GO Is A Human Tracking Device

That’s right folks, as you play Pokémon GO, your whereabouts are known. Pokémon GO tracks its users and has knowledge of the exact location of the device using the app. Not only can Pokémon GO access your location, but it has access to your photos, camera, and Google accounts. If the user signs in with a Google account, Pokémon GO has access to Google Maps, Gmail, and Google Drive.

This obviously raises some security concerns. People have some very sensitive information in their email accounts. Credit card reports, online receipts, and other personal information are all sent through email accounts daily. It would be very easy for a hacker to simply hack someone’s Pokémon GO account and steal personal data. USA Today reported that the security risks depend on how Niantic uses the collected data. This will eventually determine the safety of using the app. It is still unknown how Niantic will handle all this sensitive information.

At this point in Pokémon GO’s lifespan, it doesn’t seem like anyone is getting scared away by the negatives effects of the app.

[Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images]