Pokemon Go???? is your DC playing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

But with this Pokemon stuff you are being lured towards bait. That bait may or may not be safe and it may or may not be in a safe location. There may be a predator there waiting for prey to hunt.

I play it with my son and his best friend, because they are too young to cross major streets alone. We are not going to go into the basement of some random house, or behind a dumpster in an abandoned parking lot, even if it says there are pokemon there. I think playing around our relatively safe neighborhood and near their camp in DC pretty much ensures that we will not become "prey"

You think tweens and teens are doing this with their moms?

[Anonymous]

I play it with my son and his best friend, because they are too young to cross major streets alone. We are not going to go into the basement of some random house, or behind a dumpster in an abandoned parking lot, even if it says there are pokemon there. I think playing around our relatively safe neighborhood and near their camp in DC pretty much ensures that we will not become "prey"

You think tweens and teens are doing this with their moms?

IMO, if teens and tweens don't have enough common sense to follow the same basic rules described above (not going to places that they don't know or that seem unsafe) they're not mature enough to be out on their own anyway. When I was 12 years old, I spent my summer babysitting a 1 year old in Manhattan. If I could be responsible for someone's baby, there's no reason teens and tweens today can't exercise proper common sense to play pokemon go in a sensible and safe manner.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, another poster here who isn't letting my 11 yr old do it. And I don't think I'm overly paranoid. I recognize that the truly horrifying scenarios (finding dead bodies; getting lured by those with an evil intent) are extremely rare. But I'm way more worried about the more average concerns. We live in the city, where pedestrian deaths are high. Pedestrians aren't careful and cars full of tourists aren't either. My DD is just starting to navigate this world on her own to get to school and to camps. Like many her age, she's easily distracted. When walking alone and without her phone in her hand, she's a careful and alert walker. As soon as she's got her phone out, texting, or she's talking and walking with a friend, she makes stupid, careless mistakes. It's tough enough to try to get her to put the phone away and pay attention to what she's doing. (Also, there are plenty of petty thefts in the city where thieves snatch phones out of people's hands and my DD is literally the perfect target for such a thing.) The last thing I need is something like this game to totally engross her attention when she's out navigating the city. And yes, I understand that you stop walking to actually catch the creatures, but the point is, if you've got your nose buried in the phone LOOKING for these things, your kid isn't looking at his or her surroundings and is missing out on a lot. If she were older, with more street experience, I'd say yes. But right now it's just not ok. Too bad none of her friends' parents feel the same so she feels left out and is angry at the decision we've made.

[Anonymous]

If you have a church, post office, statue, plaque, or fire station anywhere your home, likely there will be a poke stop there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I play it with my son and his best friend, because they are too young to cross major streets alone. We are not going to go into the basement of some random house, or behind a dumpster in an abandoned parking lot, even if it says there are pokemon there. I think playing around our relatively safe neighborhood and near their camp in DC pretty much ensures that we will not become "prey"

You think tweens and teens are doing this with their moms?

IMO, if teens and tweens don't have enough common sense to follow the same basic rules described above (not going to places that they don't know or that seem unsafe) they're not mature enough to be out on their own anyway. When I was 12 years old, I spent my summer babysitting a 1 year old in Manhattan. If I could be responsible for someone's baby, there's no reason teens and tweens today can't exercise proper common sense to play pokemon go in a sensible and safe manner.

They can be perfectly good and responsible kids out enjoying a very kiddish type past time. What they may not realize is how empty and isolated some areas of their own neighborhoods might be. Simply going around that side of a building might be enough to take them out of view....

It's something to be aware of. And not every kid has a friend or sibling available to go with them on these hunts. Definitely be careful. And watch what you pick up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son (7) and I enjoy playing together. We live in Old Town Alexandria, and there have not been as many pokestops as I expected here, though.

I live in Old Town and there are a ton of pokestops! I caught seven Pokemon driving down N/S Washigton St (I was a passenger) yesterday.

[Anonymous]

I'm 46 and play it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DS LOVES it Unfortunately over here in suburbia, there is no poke stops or gyms, so being a good mom, I went on a long lunch time walk around DC. Got the biggest hug EVER in the eve. Whole family is going to explore Rio tomorrow, I heard there are bunch of them there.

North Bethesda suburbs - TON of pokestops and gyms. Trolley Trail etc.

If you walk all the way down to Suburban Hospital, there's 2 PokeStops and some nice soul set them up as lures today. Anyone who works at NIH is lucky because there's tons of PokeStops and I think a gym in there as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DS LOVES it Unfortunately over here in suburbia, there is no poke stops or gyms, so being a good mom, I went on a long lunch time walk around DC. Got the biggest hug EVER in the eve. Whole family is going to explore Rio tomorrow, I heard there are bunch of them there.

What are you talking about? I live in suburbia and within 2 miles of my home are 5 Pokestops and 2 gyms.

Lucky you, closest pokestop to us is about 2 mi away across major highway. No way I am going to let my kid go there by himself.

You do realize that there are Pokestops literally everywhere - including Montgomery Mall, the Cabin John Baseball fields, the Trolley Trail - do you let your child go to the mall?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DS LOVES it Unfortunately over here in suburbia, there is no poke stops or gyms, so being a good mom, I went on a long lunch time walk around DC. Got the biggest hug EVER in the eve. Whole family is going to explore Rio tomorrow, I heard there are bunch of them there.

What are you talking about? I live in suburbia and within 2 miles of my home are 5 Pokestops and 2 gyms.

Lucky you, closest pokestop to us is about 2 mi away across major highway. No way I am going to let my kid go there by himself.

You do realize that there are Pokestops literally everywhere - including Montgomery Mall, the Cabin John Baseball fields, the Trolley Trail - do you let your child go to the mall?

Pp here and this is exactly what I mean. I don't think she knows what Pokestops are or how to find them. They're the blue things and they're everywhere. The creators of this game weren't going to make one suburban area full of kids a total dead zone. They are literally benches, stores, pools, etc.

[Anonymous]

When I first heard about it I thought it sounded stupid but DH downloaded the app and we've run around playing with our kids (8 and 10) the last two nights. It was great and kind of like a scavenger hunt. We all got great brisk 45 minute walks in both nights.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When I first heard about it I thought it sounded stupid but DH downloaded the app and we've run around playing with our kids (8 and 10) the last two nights. It was great and kind of like a scavenger hunt. We all got great brisk 45 minute walks in both nights.

Thanks!
My 18yo kiddo told me about it yesterday, when all of the sudden he stoped playing videogames, instead got his bike out and vent for a ride. Now I think I need to learn more about this thing, it might be good idea to run around with my 10yo.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When I first heard about it I thought it sounded stupid but DH downloaded the app and we've run around playing with our kids (8 and 10) the last two nights. It was great and kind of like a scavenger hunt. We all got great brisk 45 minute walks in both nights.

Thanks!
My 18yo kiddo told me about it yesterday, when all of the sudden he stoped playing videogames, instead got his bike out and vent for a ride. Now I think I need to learn more about this thing, it might be good idea to run around with my 10yo.

I love Pokemon go specifically for this reason. It has to be done on foot to have the best success at it so I have seen SO MANY Tweens and teens out on bikes and skateboards and walking that would normally be inside on their phone. I talked to a teenage kid in a parking lot about it when I pulled up with my kids to collect PokeBalls. It is really getting people out and engaging with the world who otherwise wouldn't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

But with this Pokemon stuff you are being lured towards bait. That bait may or may not be safe and it may or may not be in a safe location. There may be a predator there waiting for prey to hunt.

I play it with my son and his best friend, because they are too young to cross major streets alone. We are not going to go into the basement of some random house, or behind a dumpster in an abandoned parking lot, even if it says there are pokemon there. I think playing around our relatively safe neighborhood and near their camp in DC pretty much ensures that we will not become "prey"

You think tweens and teens are doing this with their moms?

My 11 year old DS is doing this (with me). It's fun for him and I will drive him to local parks and other places so we can walk around together.

[Anonymous]

Hell no. Stupidest game ever.