Pokemon Go???? is your DC playing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: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.

What about allowing her to play when you are walking with her? On weekends and stuff? That way, she could hopefully feel included and it could be good bonding time. That's what we are doing with our 7 year old (who obviously doesn't have her own phone but has enjoyed 10 minute stints on this app while with us). Just a thought.

[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?

This makes me laugh! My DS is 7yo, so no i wouldnt let him go to the mall by himself. Also, we dont live in Bethesda (GASP, horrible I know). We walk around neighborhood together to hunt for them and did family field trip to Rio in Gaithesburg and today will drive to a park. Long story short, I do realize they are everywhere , unfortunately for me, they are all driving distance from my house.

[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.

How "this Pokemon stuff" works is this: It takes Google Maps. Any location listed on Google Maps as being a "community site" -- church, town park, police station, landmark sign, etc, will have some Pokemon associated with it. So those are the "sites" that are the "bait" -- anything on a Google Map that has that kind of designation.

Predators MAY be there at community locations, waiting for people with cell phones to come walking by. Sure. But if you weren't afraid to go to a church, library, police station, historic landmark site before playing the game, you shouldn't be fearful to go by now that the game has started, either.

Now, if there's an old church, high up on a hill, with a graveyard that has a historic plaque on it.... you probably shouldn't go up there to find a Pokemon at 11 PM. Common sense. But you shouldn't have been doing that, even without the game.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, I think Pokemon Go (and allowing kids to free range it on their bikes around the neighborhood etc) is more for young teens -- ages 13+ It's PERFECT for this age group. Some teens I know went on the metro downtown and hunted Pokemon all over DC. Great activity for kids in the summer in a group of 2 or 3. Younger kids can play with their moms.

[Anonymous]

My kids are 6 and 2- I'm sure it's better for the older kids to do alone but plenty of kids we know in this age range are doing it with the help of mom and dad and think it's awesome. The bonus is mine actually believe the Pokemon are real and invisible except for the camera. It is a BIG DEAL when we see/catch one. I like doing it with them, we just pop it open wherever we are and see if there's any stops or Pokemon nearby.

[Anonymous]

Be careful!

An 16-18 yr old walked right in front of my car this morning at Wildwood center in Bethesda. Didn't look up from his phone at all (which I could see was in the game mode -- we were THATclose.) Might have been hit by someone in a rush or less cautious.

[Anonymous]

For those of you complaining that they would never let their child play the game on their own, please note that you are on a "teen" forum, which means kids 13 years old and up. And it is a perfectly appropriate game for that age group. Please don't come on here and comment if you have a 2 year old. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For those of you complaining that they would never let their child play the game on their own, please note that you are on a "teen" forum, which means kids 13 years old and up. And it is a perfectly appropriate game for that age group. Please don't come on here and comment if you have a 2 year old. Thank you.

Well, technically this the Teens & Tweens Forum, which means kids 10/11ish & up. But your point still stands.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

What about allowing her to play when you are walking with her? On weekends and stuff? That way, she could hopefully feel included and it could be good bonding time. That's what we are doing with our 7 year old (who obviously doesn't have her own phone but has enjoyed 10 minute stints on this app while with us). Just a thought.

+1 my 11 yr old and I have been playing together, walking around the neighborhood. She also uses my phone when I'm driving to catch them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Be careful!

An 16-18 yr old walked right in front of my car this morning at Wildwood center in Bethesda. Didn't look up from his phone at all (which I could see was in the game mode -- we were THATclose.) Might have been hit by someone in a rush or less cautious.

Traffic accidents, etc. have started already. A fifteen year old girl was hit by a car Tuesday while she was playing Pokemon Go.

Link:

http://www.abc2news.com/news/national/5-ways-pokemon-go-has-been-dangerous

[Anonymous]

My DH downloaded it first. Then he showed it to my 18 y ols son. Now they are both looking for Pokémon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Traffic accidents, etc. have started already. A fifteen year old girl was hit by a car Tuesday while she was playing Pokemon Go.

Link:

http://www.abc2news.com/news/national/5-ways-pokemon-go-has-been-dangerous

That's a valid concern. Any time people go out and about in the world, on the street, there's a chance they could get hit by a car. Especially, kids who aren't used to walking a lot on the streets, near traffic... if this game gets them out in the world, on their own, they may need a refresher/reminder on how to stop, look both ways, before crossing a street. It might not be second nature to them, and of course, using a cell phone can be a distraction.

I disagree with the phrasing in the article you posted. The article states that the Pokemon Go game "took her (the 15 year old girl) across a major highway at 5 PM which was rush hour." No, the game didn't take her anywhere. The 15 year old girl was allowed to be walking alone at 5 PM, and she had a map on her cell phone showing where she was, and where the nearest Pokemon location was. It was her decision to use that map to get to that location. She should not be playing on her own, if she doesn't have the skills to cross a major highway on her own.

A lot of people in that article seemed to be getting into trouble at 2:30 or 3:30 am!! I think they should shut the game down at 8 PM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Traffic accidents, etc. have started already. A fifteen year old girl was hit by a car Tuesday while she was playing Pokemon Go.

Link:

http://www.abc2news.com/news/national/5-ways-pokemon-go-has-been-dangerous

That's a valid concern. Any time people go out and about in the world, on the street, there's a chance they could get hit by a car. Especially, kids who aren't used to walking a lot on the streets, near traffic... if this game gets them out in the world, on their own, they may need a refresher/reminder on how to stop, look both ways, before crossing a street. It might not be second nature to them, and of course, using a cell phone can be a distraction.

I disagree with the phrasing in the article you posted. The article states that the Pokemon Go game "took her (the 15 year old girl) across a major highway at 5 PM which was rush hour." No, the game didn't take her anywhere. The 15 year old girl was allowed to be walking alone at 5 PM, and she had a map on her cell phone showing where she was, and where the nearest Pokemon location was. It was her decision to use that map to get to that location. She should not be playing on her own, if she doesn't have the skills to cross a major highway on her own.

A lot of people in that article seemed to be getting into trouble at 2:30 or 3:30 am!! I think they should shut the game down at 8 PM.

I am sorry, but this could happen with any kind of game...or texting. It's just that the game is popular, so it gets a lot of press.

I am thrilled that my 15 year old is out and about. It is health to get out and get fresh air and socialize!! You can't keep your kids in a bubble!

And please don't blame the parents. It is very typical to allow a 15 year old to walk all types of streets. My 15 year old rides the metro to DC every day to go to school and crosses all sorts of streets. They are 3 years from being an adult. PP, how old are your children? I would guess in the single digits with your attitude.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Traffic accidents, etc. have started already. A fifteen year old girl was hit by a car Tuesday while she was playing Pokemon Go.

Link:

http://www.abc2news.com/news/national/5-ways-pokemon-go-has-been-dangerous

That's a valid concern. Any time people go out and about in the world, on the street, there's a chance they could get hit by a car. Especially, kids who aren't used to walking a lot on the streets, near traffic... if this game gets them out in the world, on their own, they may need a refresher/reminder on how to stop, look both ways, before crossing a street. It might not be second nature to them, and of course, using a cell phone can be a distraction.

I disagree with the phrasing in the article you posted. The article states that the Pokemon Go game "took her (the 15 year old girl) across a major highway at 5 PM which was rush hour." No, the game didn't take her anywhere. The 15 year old girl was allowed to be walking alone at 5 PM, and she had a map on her cell phone showing where she was, and where the nearest Pokemon location was. It was her decision to use that map to get to that location. She should not be playing on her own, if she doesn't have the skills to cross a major highway on her own.

A lot of people in that article seemed to be getting into trouble at 2:30 or 3:30 am!! I think they should shut the game down at 8 PM.

I am sorry, but this could happen with any kind of game...or texting. It's just that the game is popular, so it gets a lot of press.

I am thrilled that my 15 year old is out and about. It is healthy to get out and get fresh air and socialize!! You can't keep your kids in a bubble!

And please don't blame the parents. It is very typical to allow a 15 year old to walk all types of streets. My 15 year old rides the metro to DC every day to go to school and crosses all sorts of streets. They are 3 years from being an adult. PP, how old are your children? I would guess in the single digits based on your fears. Just wait...you'll hopefully loosen the reigns when the time comes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Traffic accidents, etc. have started already. A fifteen year old girl was hit by a car Tuesday while she was playing Pokemon Go.

Link:

http://www.abc2news.com/news/national/5-ways-pokemon-go-has-been-dangerous

That's a valid concern. Any time people go out and about in the world, on the street, there's a chance they could get hit by a car. Especially, kids who aren't used to walking a lot on the streets, near traffic... if this game gets them out in the world, on their own, they may need a refresher/reminder on how to stop, look both ways, before crossing a street. It might not be second nature to them, and of course, using a cell phone can be a distraction.

I disagree with the phrasing in the article you posted. The article states that the Pokemon Go game "took her (the 15 year old girl) across a major highway at 5 PM which was rush hour." No, the game didn't take her anywhere. The 15 year old girl was allowed to be walking alone at 5 PM, and she had a map on her cell phone showing where she was, and where the nearest Pokemon location was. It was her decision to use that map to get to that location. She should not be playing on her own, if she doesn't have the skills to cross a major highway on her own.

A lot of people in that article seemed to be getting into trouble at 2:30 or 3:30 am!! I think they should shut the game down at 8 PM.

I am sorry, but this could happen with any kind of game...or texting. It's just that the game is popular, so it gets a lot of press.

I am thrilled that my 15 year old is out and about. It is healthy to get out and get fresh air and socialize!! You can't keep your kids in a bubble!

And please don't blame the parents. It is very typical to allow a 15 year old to walk all types of streets. My 15 year old rides the metro to DC every day to go to school and crosses all sorts of streets. They are 3 years from being an adult. PP, how old are your children? I would guess in the single digits based on your fears. Just wait...you'll hopefully loosen the reigns when the time comes.

Oops. I think you double posted. (See 22:41)