Gotta Catch ‘em all…

Do you want to be the very best? Are you prepared to travel across the land, searching far and wide? Do you know this is your destiny and are you prepared to defend the world?

If the answer is yes to one or more of these questions, you are playing too much Pokemon Go!

Pokemon Go hit the country by storm approximately one month ago, with kids and adults getting equally excited. Soon everybody was ditching their computers and heading into the streets, prepared for some serious Pokemon hunting.

For the benefit of those still  living in  a world where cutesy creatures don’t suddenly appear from under the sofa, Pokemon Go sits somewhere between the real and virtual world. Players use mobile devices to capture and train the virtual Pokemon creatures.

Initially reaction was good, particularly for parents. This was essentially a “computer” game which got children up on their feet and out into their surroundings, a win win for the summer holidays. But unfortunately, Pokemon Go has brought controversy, with suggestions that it is not safe to play.

Security

The original problem was a glitch in security. Concerns were raised amid the possibility that the app had full access to users Google accounts. Fears were quickly quelled by developers Niantic Labs, who stated this was more an administration issue than actual security.

Yet more fire fighting needed to be done as parents started to get worried about the potential threat posed to their children.

Safety

The very nature of Pokemon Go means players are often caught looking down at their hand held devices and not at where they are walking. Distracted walking already causes lots of people to end up at Accident and Emergency.

Additionally there was concern over criminals using the game to target children. Players can advise others on where they might catch rare Pokemon but in the wrong hands this could be used to lure children to remote locations.

Pokemon gyms can be found in many parks and static locations and there is a worry that this could also be used to specifically target children.

The advice to any parents with children playing Pokemon Go is to accompany them whilst playing.

Blackburn Alarms can advise on a range of safety and security issues. If you should have any questions or would like a no obligation quote then please do no hesitate to contact us.