"Pokemon Go" is already out in many parts of the world (it dropped in Japan earlier today, and is expected to roll out in the rest of the world by the end of the month) and there have been many crazy stories surrounding players—large groups are flocking together, some have found dead bodies, some have even reportedly died playing the game.
Here's how to avoid all that playing "Pokemon Go."
First off: be alert when you're playing. "Pokemon Go" even takes care to remind you to be aware of your surroundings. I shouldn't have to tell you to not whip your phone out when you're in a sketchy area, because for all our efforts in telling thieves not to steal, life doesn't work that way. If you must play the game while walking (because a big part of playing the game involves walking outside finding Pokemon, and going to Pokestops and Gyms) keep on looking up. Make sure the road in front of you is clear—and don't actually step into traffic.
The best way to deal with this, however, is to enable notifications in "Pokemon Go," so that your phone will just vibrate when you're walking outside and there's a Pokemon nearby.
For parents, you should probably enable Parental Control on your smartphone if you're letting your kids play on it. "Pokemon Go" also consists of microtransactions that can drain your wallet if you're not careful—and kids will either be deliberately sneaky or not know any better. The good thing is that "Pokemon Go" doesn't overtly force microtransactions on players (unlike other mobile games) but you never know.
Most importantly, supervise your kids if they have to go outside while playing "Pokemon Go." You never know what or who could be out there trying to prey on them. Hopefully it doesn't have to go that far, but it's better to be safe than sorry.
For anyone who needs a better introduction to "Pokemon Go," check out this video:
