Pokemon Go Game Sparks Concerns, Enthusiasm as Fever Sweeps Nation

"Gotta catch 'em all."

The words have taken on new meaning recently as a brand new phone game, Pokemon Go, has spread like wildfire across the nation.

From town board rooms to television talk shows, offices to classrooms, restaurants to shops, Pokemon Go has the world abuzz, as fans new and old join together in a frenzy to capture Pokemon in the real world.

The app, which can be downloaded for free and is available for iOS and Android across the United States, as well as in Australia and New Zealand, is developed by Ninantic, published by The Pokémon Company, and part of the Pokémon franchise.

It's also a red-hot cultural phenomenon that has adults and children out in droves, trying to catch Pokemon day and night in all corners of the country.

Basically, the game works by players, on their phones, using their GPS and phone cameras to locate Pokemon.

Anyone born in the 90s knows that Pokemon, a Nintendo franchise, involves trainers including the original duo Ash and Pikachu, who try to catch Pokemon, engage in battles, and best gym leaders.

Pokemon Go is considered an augmented reality game, meaning players head out and find their Pokemon in the real world, at actual locales and destinations.

Pokemon Go fever is spreading fast: According to SurveyMonkey, it's now the biggest mobile game in United States history, with just under 21 million daily active users in the United States as of Tuesday, more than the ever-popular Candy Crush.

But despite the fun and positives, including, gamers say, the fact that it gets players outside, visiting locations they might never have seen, there are potential dangers, including physical injury, and even crime.

Suffolk County warns against potential Pokemon Go dangers

To that end, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, Suffolk County Police Department Commissioner Tim Sini and Paul Alonzo of Parents for Megan’s Law jointly held a public safety announcement yesterday warning parents about the potential dangers of the popular Pokemon Go.

Bellone called upon the application’s developers to continuously monitor its user registry for sex offenders.

“The safety and well-being of our residents, especially children, is our highest priority. As with most social networking platforms, safety measures must be followed to prevent predators from preying on unsuspecting victims," Bellone said. “We are calling to the developers of this app to join a group of social networking companies who have agreed to use New York State’s e-STOP registry to ensure the safety of all users.”

Bellone said he'd submitted letters to the developers, asking them to work with the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services to ensure that Pokemon Go complies with the provisions of the Electronic Security and Targeting of Online Predators Act, or e-STOP.

His goal is to urge the app's developers to team up with other social networking sites that've already agreed to use the New York E-STOP registry to purge known sex offenders from the platform and keep kids and potential victims safe.

“The Suffolk County Police Department is fully aware of this new gaming trend and we are encouraging all users to think safety first,” Sini said. “There have been various reports across the country of people getting lured to remote locations and trespassing on restricted and private properties at odd hours."

In addition, Sini said, some motorists are playing the game even while driving.

Pokemon Go, Bellone said, sends users on a virtual scavenger hunt, tracking users’ locations and directing them to checkpoints to complete different missions and capture different Pokémon characters.

“What is intended to be a fun game can be also be dangerous,” Paul Alonzo, program manager of Parents for Megan’s Law said. . “Using the geo location feature of the Pokemon Go App persons seeking to do harm to children can anticipate and identify locations to target potential victims."

The Lure module, he said, enables a person trying to attract players to send them to a secluded location and potentially victimize them.

"We strongly recommend parents to accompany children playing Pokemon Go and players should never go to unfamiliar locations alone," he said.

While the aim is not to discourage gamers from the app, all say safety is key.

Bellone offered the following tips for safe play:

· Parents and legal guardians should regularly talk to their children about stranger danger, and create guidelines of where they can and cannot go.

· Drivers are to be alert at all times, drive responsibility, and keep their eyes on the road. Eliminate all distractions.

· Pay attention where you are walking while accessing the application. Do not enter unauthorized and restricted areas, such as streets with heavy traffic, hospitals, construction zones and private properties. You do not have to physically enter a building in order to play the game.

· Adhere to the law and use common sense.

In addition to physical safety concerns, a security breach was identified, according to Wired; its iOS app initially was able to access Google account info. A new app update has solved the privacy problem, Wired said.

Why people love Pokemon Go

Across the country, young and old are seen, heads bent to their phones, jubilantly catching Pokemon characters.

Many parents across the country say they're happy the game gets their kids moving.

"Well, at least Pokemon Go is getting my son out of the house instead of sitting in front of his computer. He walked for two hours yesterday," Terry Bell said.

And it's a passion some parents are sharing with their kids: Mom Jana Hein has joined her daughter in the quest. "I'm catching Pokemon because it's silly and during all this national and personal turmoil, it's a great distraction," she said.

Diana Cook agreed. "I thinks it's fun." She and her son, she said, go for night walks now to catch the elusive creatures.

"I'm not sure why everyone's complaining, no ones needs to pay attention to it while they're walking or riding. It's not like there's a map to find them that they have to pay attention to. I just have the app on . When I find a Pokemon my phone vibrates to let me know one is by me and I stop and catch it."

Rachel Paoletta, who grew up in Westhampton Beach and is now a news and identity reporter at Revelest in New York, said she's "unapologetically loved Pokemon" since childhood.

"I think Pokemon Go is particularly fantastic because it really helps me cope with my anxiety. By incentivizing me to get outside and focus on something fun, I can put my obsessive thoughts aside. Plus, who doesn't want to catch a Clefairy on the subway?" she said.

The game brings back a deep tie to childhood, Paoletta added.

"This generation has gone through the ringer. In post-9/11 childhood, Pokemon was a much-needed comfort that celebrated friendship and adventure. I think Pokemon Go captures that happy nostalgia and literally colors our daily life with it."

Added Paoletta's former classmate and Remsenburg native William Finn, "It's bringing people together in a way that they haven't been in a very long time — a unique way."

He agreed that the game is nostalgic for anyone born in the 90s. "It was the dream of those kids to be able to play Pokemon in the real world. Now it's become a reality for all those nostalgic 90s kids."

Still, despite the fun, there's a need to exercise caution, he said. "We've all heard bad things about people out at 1 a.m., trying to catch Pokemon. Go with a friend or to a populated area during the day. The game is not asking you to be stupid."

In fact, he said, the game opens by urging players to be aware of their surroundings at all times.

Just say no

Other parents say the game is not something they'll allow their kids to play.

"I let my kids play it for one day," said Cristin Tamburello. "I deleted it already. It's dangerous. My daughter wanted to walk around our neighborhood looking for Pokemon, which means she wouldn't be paying attention to where she's going, cars, strangers, etc."

Chatty Allen of Greenport agreed. "Someone was telling me that players are being set up and ambushed, players going to areas to capture and getting beaten up. I don't think it's happening around here but still. A lot of people, not just kids, were playing it Monday night at Dances in the Park," she said.

Jennifer Moore Giovanniello-Becker said the game is a safety concern. "It's dangerous because the kids are riding a bike and staring at their phones trying to catch them and not at the road."

On the flipside, she said it's great to see children out getting exercise and Vitamin D.

Susan Tyler saw a young boy on the North Fork riding his bike on her road Tuesday, "swerving, middle of the road, no helmet. I assumed he was texting. Didn't even think about Pokemon. More likely that's what he was doing. So yes, definitely dangerous aspects."

Added Gwen Groocock, "Being a kid in summer is all about playing outside. Mine spend hours exploring the creeks, inventing games and just being in the moment. That will be gone if it's suddenly all about staring at a phone and catching digital cartoon creatures," she said. "I'm not going to let the real magic of summer get destroyed, so, no, my kids will not be playing Pokemon Go."

Niantic representatives did not immediately return a request for comment.

Photo courtesy of Rachel Paoletta.