Academic Studies Find Plenty to Like About Pokémon Go

Nearly a year after Pokémon Go and its legion of devout fans hit the streets, researchers are starting to see societal benefits in augmented reality.

1 minute read

April 24, 2017, 8:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Pokémon Go

Niantic / Pokémon Go

Praphanit Doowa reports on the findings of a new study by researchers from the University of Washington.

The study, titled "'It wasn’t really about the Pokémon': Parents’ Perspectives on a Location-Based Mobile Game" [pdf] found that "parents who regularly play Pokémon Go with their children spend more time outdoors, exercise more and have more family bonding time," according to Doowa.

The multi-generational appeal of Pokémon Go is one of the clear takeaways of the study.

Researchers from the University of Wisconsin – Madison also recently released a study into the effects of the Pokémon Go craze of 2016. That study, published in the journal Media Psychology, "shows that Pokémon Go users were more likely to be positive, friendly and physically active," according to an article on Science Daily. That study focused on the social benefits of the mobile game.

Wednesday, April 19, 2017 in Crosscut

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

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