"Pokemon Go" Re-Enchants

Even if you donâ??t own a smartphone and have never played a computer game more sophisticated than solitaire, you have probably heard of Pokémon Go by now. The phone-based game boasts 30 million players worldwide, less than a month after its release on July 6th. In that brief time, it has been both praised and blamed for its impact on the larger world. The internet is awash with testimonials from players with depression and social anxiety, who say the game has helped them get out of the house and meet new people; balanced against these are the many news stories about traffic accidents, caused by drivers who are paying more attention to catching Pokémon (the word is a portmanteau of â??pocket monsterâ?) than to other drivers. For weal and for woe, Pokémon Go is already having an impact on how its millions of players participate in social space.