As long as you watch where you're going, Pokemon Go might actually be good for you.
Rather than closing people off from their surroundings, there appears to be strong anecdotal evidence that the latest mobile gaming fad is getting many to engage with their community.
Tech site Engadget relays numerous accounts on Twitter of Pokemon Go players who report that the game has helped them overcome depression or anxiety that would otherwise prevent them from leaving the house or taking a walk around their neighborhood, let alone walking across town.
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And when people get outside and get exercise, the mental health benefits snowball, notes Dr. John Grohol, the founder of Psych Central, a mental health social network, in an interview with Engadget.
"The challenge has always been, if you're depressed, your motivation level is nonexistent," he told the website. "So, you want to go out and get some fresh air, or even take a shower, and it can be a very difficult thing to even comprehend, much less do. I think the impact of something like this, this game, can really be beneficial."
Although exercise and outdoor activity are one of the most effective ways to combat depression, Grohol noted, they usually do not constitute sufficient treatment for those suffering from serious mental health disorders. Pokemon Go! should by no means put psychologists out of business.
The popular new video game has its share of critics, armed with their own health-related arguments. Kristen Race, the author of "Mindful Parenting," wrote in a New York Times column that today's kids need to take a break from screens, even if they are getting "screen time" outdoors.
"Imaginative play is critical to brain development and staring at a phone waiting for Bulbasaur to appear is far from a healthy substitute," she says.
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