Why is Pokemon Go so successful?

I've been thinking about this post for a couple of days. I can only speak for the US, but I think it's because it came out at a time when people needed something positive to talk with other people about.  Think on that week.  We had two violent shootings of civilians by police, and then several deaths of police officers by a sniper, during a peaceful assembly to protest the earlier deaths. While we will always have the damaged people who fiercely believe that it's their purpose in life to make everyone as miserable and screwed up as they are, most of us really want humanity to just get along with itself.  We just don't know how to talk to each other.

Which is why this post struck such a nerve in me - https://www.facebook.com/NikkieTutorials/posts/985939084836854:0 - in a good and heartwarming way.  Yes, it was awkward, but at least the gentleman had the courage to make a connection that needed to be made.  Now we have something that you don't have to identify yourself as being this, that, or the other, to talk to people about.  Even though there are teams, as of yet, I haven't seen much "us against them" with them.

As one of the radio stations I listen to on the way to work stated: Pokemon Go engenders a sense of community.  Several cities have already planned Pokemon Go events for their communities. I know friends and coworkers who play it with their kids and then get hooked (though some of them are too embarrassed to admit it). I know people older than me that play it.  And to be honest, even though I don't do the walking thing, I find it rather relaxing to play for a few minutes every few hours.

Let's be honest, it play that builds the most trust between people.  You can work around someone for years and not feel any real connection with them, and then after a few games of ping-pong at a company picnic, you suddenly feel like you know the person more.  The fact that someone is willing to do something frivolous with us, makes them a little more human in our eyes.  Of course, there have been people who've misused the game, but there have been others who've made us smile by using the game to troll the Westboro Baptist Church and put a Pokemon named 'Merica in front of the White House (http://imgur.com/gallery/fM0Nm).

But the game wouldn't do so popular if there weren't other things going for it. To quote _Pokemon Go Reportedly Helping People’s Mental Health, Depression_ ( http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2016/07/11/pokemon-go-reportedly-helping-peoples-mental-health-depression/ ):

"Pokémon Go does this by encouraging people to get outside, take a walk, talk to others, and explore the world around them. Granted, it’s through their smartphone acting as an interface, but walking is walking, even if the motivation for doing so is to play a game. For a person suffering from depression or another mood disorder, the idea of exercise can be nearly impossible to contemplate, much less do. For someone suffering from social anxiety, the idea of going outside and possibly bumping into others who may want to talk to you is daunting."

Like I said, the right game for the right time...

The Fun Theory

A friend of mine recently did a post on The Fun Theory. So instead of writing up my own post on the subject (which would have been undoubtedly more wordy than needed), I will direct you to her post.

Creativity and play

The 30 circle test reminds me a little of when I did figures in my Drawing I class in college. We first did several drawings of our instructor with only 30 seconds per pose. Then we did a few drawing with a minute per pose. The last two poses for 5 and 10 minutes, respectively. What the exercise did was force us to just draw what we saw, without pausing to edit. Obviously, we only got basic forms at first. But this carried on to the longer drawings and I have to admit that I did much better drawing of human than I had in any other art class before. So, getting past the self-critiques (and external critiques) for a period of time does more than increase creativity, it also improves skills. Creative writing works much better if you wait to edit until after you've written the story. Starting to edit in the midst of creating will deaden the creativity and stunt the work. Editting happens after the creative period, no matter what you are working on. Or in Tim Brown's terms, the convergence period happens after the divergence period.

This next talk is also by a Brown - Stuart Brown:



It amazes me how much we have weeded out adult playfulness in the past couple of centuries. My son did a report of historical children's games last year and we were both surprised to find old books full of adult-too games. In fact, it was hard to find written resources of children-only games before the 1900s. A side-effect of the Industrial Revolution, I suspect.

Both videos underscore the need for kinistetic activity in problem solving. Though I didn't use it in my capstone, I did find a study on how swinging one's arms helps one to solve problems with a swinging element, while researching how the right and left brain function cognitively.

Back to the talk - while the meeting suits are fun, I can imagine all sort of sexual harrassment potential. But I can't deny that it is creative.

Once Upon a School

Okay, this is a long video (25 minutes), but I promise you will enjoy this--especially if you are interested in education:



Dave Eggers' brilliant idea of mixing writers and students needing tutoring is only exceeded by the genius of its implimentation. A tutoring center behind a pirate supply store, with a publishing company in the back. Its success is a wonderful example of creativity begetting creativity and learning. And the spin-offs of a super hero supply store in NYC, the time-traveler's convenience store in LA, and others, show the repeatability of this model.

After watching it, I had to ask myself what would work in OKC. I think we would have to avoid the cowboys and indians bit; it wouldn't be whimsical enough for this region that has deep cultural roots with those groups. Possible ideas I've had:

THE INTERGALACTIC BARREL: something like a Cracker Barrel for space travelers. Filled with lots of travel games, gifts, and other touristy stuff for aliens visiting Earth. And instead of a restaurant, a vending wall or two of dehydrated fruits and meals in a tube, aka "astronaut" food, with a dining room. Could use "Diner" to avoid upsetting Cracker Barrel - or perhaps could talk Cracker Barrel into being a sponser.

THE CAVEMAN FASHION OUTLET: Select the finest in (faux) fur and leather loin clothes, tunics, vests and capes. Not to mention bone and rock jewelry, footwear, and blinged out clubs. Everything for the sophisticated caveman.

And slightly related, THE DINOSAUR FEED STORE: Everything for feeding and caring for your prehistoric animals. Could alternatively be a mythical creature feed store.

Anyway, I encourage you to visit http://www.onceuponschool.org and see what others have done.