GOTTA CATCH 'EM ALL: Has the future of learning arrived in the form of a Pikachu? You might think so after a weekend media frenzy that has inspired headlines including “14 Reasons Why Pokemon Go Is The Future Of Learning” and “Pokemon GO: What education should be.” To play the augmented reality game, players must get up off the couch and wander the streets of their town, city or college campus chasing Pokémon and Poké-stops. It draws gamers into the world to real places with other real people.
College campus police departments are struggling with students walking mindlessly into busy streets. Maybe if a classroom has a lure (which attracts pokémon to a geographic location), students will show up excited to catch that Bulbasaur during a lecture. (Might this just be the answer to truancy?)
But walking around mindlessly while pointing a camera isn't a good look for everyone. Pokémon Go provided a different experience for one black man. The map layer and implications of beacons on private property is mysterious, and troubling for some. Many users also automatically granted permission for the app to read their Gmail accounts, though Niantic Labs, who developed the game, claim they never accessed more than basic profile information.
