Another timely distraction for students, or a distant memory?

The mobile game Pokemon Go, released on July 6, has generated quite a buzz around the world, including Malvern Prep. Sad for some, the game may already be past its peak.

Pokemon Go is not like the ordinary Pokemon games, as it is not created by Nintendo. Instead, the game is run by developer Niantic, who are relatively new in the app department, only developing one other app, Ingress.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“Kids don’t seem as absorbed in playing it now in comparison to when it first came out.”

-Mrs. Susan Giordani[/perfectpullquote]

The game allows the user to create an “avatar” to their likeness to wonder the Pokemon invested landscape, according to the description on the app store. The app tracks the player via GPS, if they have their location turned on, and uses augmented reality to allow the player to become engrossed in the digital fantasy world.

Some teachers worried whether this new virtual game would deter students from doing homework and studying.

Freshman Literature and Composition teacher Mrs. Susan Giordani said her main concern with Pokemon Go was that it would distract her students throughout the day, and the students would wander off into the woods. “If kids are that excited about it, I’d love to incorporate the game into assignments,” she said.

However, she has already noticed a decline in the game’s popularity. “Kids don’t seem as absorbed in playing it now in comparison to when it first came out,” she said.

Theology teacher Mr. Drew Zagursky feels the game has really taken a hit with school starting, and the game is not much of a distraction as it would have been if school started two months ago. He has not witnessed any students playing the game on campus and believes it won’t be an issue on Malvern’s campus.

Middle School Social Studies Teacher Mr. Steven Swope thinks the game is just another outlet for students to not interact directly. He said that students these days don’t interact as much in person as they used to because of cell phones, emails, and texting.
“I feel that people will be looking down at their phones all the time rather than interact with people and the real world around them,” Swope said.

Sophomore Matthew Hopkins, a regular player, said that while it is fun and great for getting kids outside in the sun, there are some dangers to not being aware of your surroundings.

“During the summer, I was riding my bike and playing Pokemon Go, but I was too focused on the game to pay attention to where I was riding and crashed into a tree on my bike,” Hopkins said.

Hopkins said the game could act as a distraction to some, but not enough to be an issue at Malvern.

-Luke McClatchy ’19, Steve O’Meara ’19