Does Pokémon Go really help you reduce stress?

The following article is translated from the article in Psychology Today by Marlynn Wei. She is a psychiatrist who has studied at Harvard and Yale and is also a book author, yoga teacher and speaker on issues related to meditation and Yoga. Marlynn Wei is the author of The Havard Medical School Guide to Yoga guidebook and also an advisor for Psychology Today and Havard Health.

I have been playing Pokémon Go for a while and trying to figure out what exactly this phenomenon is, and I can understand why so many Pokémon Go addicts are so. Pokémon Go is an augmented reality game (game AR) in which players will travel in the real world to catch virtual Pokémon. In terms of app downloads for Android users, this game has surpassed Tinder and is expected to surpass Twitter.

See also: How does Pokémon Go - Pokémon Go business model make money?

In the midst of many articles about players who are too passionate about games, there are also articles that suggest Pokémon Go can really help people overcome social anxiety (social anxiety). .It is still too early to know whether Pokémon Go really has a long-term effect on treating these problems , but the game has succeeded in drawing people to the streets, walking and interacting with each other. . Pokémon Go also has the potential to benefit those who are not motivated or unable to leave due to fear or anxiety.

The use of augmented reality technology in medicine to improve physiological and psychological health is not new and is also playing an increasingly important role in the treatment of many disorders.Virtual reality games are also currently being used and researched to treat depression, anxiety, PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) as well as pain relief or even improving resuscitation. after stroke.

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The augmented reality is a little different from virtual reality because it doesn't take you to a new space but still lets you live in the real world. Virtual objects, such as Pokémon in this game, are incorporated through the use of GPS. Although not much, augmented reality technology has been studied as a treatment for anxiety disorder, excessive fear of something (phobias) like cockroach phobia or PTSD. This technology has also been studied, at least in one case, to treat limb pain - a phenomenon that occurs when a leg or hand is seriously injured.Pokémon Go uses the power of augmented reality technology in a different way, by encouraging people to go out and explore.
Here are the benefits and harms of Pokémon Go psychologically.

The benefits of Pokémon Go

Fun game, bring prizes to players

Pokémon Go is a fun and simple game. It encourages people to stand up from the sofa and walk around their area. The basic idea of ​​behavioral cognitive therapy is " behavioral activation," which means if you go out and experience positive results from doing healthy behaviors, for example. like going to the gym, then you will feel better and continue the "loop" actively to perform more such behaviors.

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The game is designed with defined goals and smart steps

A clear structure, immediate feedback and achievable goals are useful, especially for people who are depressed , to make people excited and attracted. Lack of specific structure will make us without energy, feeling tired, boring, lacking motivation and ultimately falling into a depressed state. By creating increasing goals, the game brings the feeling that you are moving forward.

Easily catch conversation and help reduce social phobia

In 1 hour of playing Pokémon Go outside, a lot of people around me started talking about the game. Social phobia and depression often mean you are alienated from society and feel uncomfortable around other people. With social phobia, the feeling of strangeness you find yourself unsuitable in that place or fear others will judge you.This game allows you to play alone but can also play with others, it gives you the option to interact with others if you feel anything in common with them , so the interaction is less risky. more ro After 48 hours of playing, I can confirm that other players will feel comfortable talking to you if they see you are playing a game. As a young man said when I asked her how she felt when people talked to each other:

Sure, I will never talk to her if not because she is also playing Pokémon Go.

The game revolves around a cute cartoon theme and character

This makes the player focus on something cute inside them, different from dating apps like Tinder or Happen - in which players may feel they are judged or pressured to show the picture. Photo yourself in a certain way. Pokémon Go also has an advantage over other social applications like Facebook or Twitter - where users also have the pressure to create compelling content or access information that makes them feel jealous.The simple theme of Pokémon Go can reduce the kind of pressure, social fear or negative interaction .

The game encourages you to explore and collect Pokémon as well as balls to catch them

Pokémon Go will require you to travel a certain distance to hatch the eggs you have collected. Exercise is still known to be an effective way to treat depression or to improve general health and this application is a useful source of motivation to get you out.

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You will notice things around you that you have never noticed before

In the game, players will collect items at Pokéstop - placed around your area like statues, buildings . Although the game cannot develop awareness and attention like meditation but you will also Pay attention to the details in the surroundings that your capital just glides through. This will help you love your surroundings more.

Mixing real and virtual can encourage creativity and imagination

Finding cartoon characters between buildings or on the street can make you feel like a child. The game also allows players to create funny and creative images.

The minus points of Pokémon Go

The game has also been criticized for causing damage to players, criticizing privacy issues or crime issues such as some users of Pokémon Go to entice players to a location and rob property. their. Therefore caution is necessary. Here are the limitations or psychological disadvantages that the game brings.

The game forces you to go out, but still with the phone on hand

Although Pokémon Go really encourages you to go outdoors, you're still "stuck" in technology . (As a young man told me: Watch out for if the game will drop your battery). While walking outside while still holding the phone in your hand, your life won't change much. For children and adolescents, the American Pediatric Association recommends that screen time should only be 1 to 2 hours a day. (The game allows you to meet and interact with other players instead of just looking at the phone, which partly reduces this harm).

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Playing Pokémon Go makes you lose focus

The game itself has a notification about where you go, but recently there have been reports of players being injured during the game. The game puts your mind into a "virtual mixing" space, in which you don't really have a full "moment" because your eyes focus on the phone and search for Pokémon, not in the world. real.

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The game makes tension increase

Since you are trying to find and catch Pokémon, your body will most likely be in "fight-or-flight" (fight or run away, also known as acute stress response. For example, when you meet a child the body will be ready to "fight" or "run away", and the body parts will produce different reactions such as a fast heartbeat, an enlarged eyeball .) Adrenaline is pumped up more and the heart rate is beating faster than usual. In a short period of time this can stimulate fun, but in the long run, you may feel tired, so if you need to, take a break and make sure you don't suffer side effects when playing games too much. .

The game can make you spend more time on your phone and less realistic interaction

Playing Pokémon Go can really make you less socially interactive, focusing on your phone more. But this depends on how each person plays.

Pokémon Go can exacerbate the situation of people who cannot distinguish real and virtual

The game blends practical elements with virtual elements so people who have problems with distinguishing these factors may have difficulty, especially those with psychotic symptom. So you need to be careful in this situation and tell the doctor first.