Pokemon Go probably didn't make its users more active

popsci.com

4 points·joeyespo··5 comments

> That first week, the activity increase was significant—a boost of 955 steps, or an estimated 11 minutes of additional walking a day, according to study author Katherine Howe.

Isn't that already making users more active?

> Significant, maybe, but the step increase is (unsurprisingly) much smaller than that generated by other walking "interventions," like the use of a Fitbit.

Pokemon GO is free. Not everyone can buy a Fitbit or other walking "interventions"...

Not a big Pokemon GO fan but I'd like to think it did make people more active even if it was just for a week.

>> After six weeks, the Pokemon GO effect had disappeared completely.

Because there's literally nothing to do in this game. I've so far removed it from my phone and am really surprised when news still mention it, the whole thing must have been the missed opportunity of the century.

When it came out I went for walks every other day, just to play the game. I've seen more of my neighborhood than in the last 4 years of living here. But, there was just no reason to continue.

I hear that. The local shopping plaza was filled late into the night with teens and adults playing; that went on for almost a month. Now, occasionally, I'll see someone driving and playing it, which defeats the exercise portion and is absolutely a danger to those around them. I have some acquaintances who play it on their commutes as an idle filler, but that's about it.

My friend's apartment has two Pokestops on the street just outside his porch window, about 30ft apart. When the craze was going on, there would be slews of cars stopping (in the middle of the road, a whole separate discussion there) for the Pokestops, but I haven't seen a single car stop there in some time, now.

Has anyone claimed it would make you more active once you stopped playing?

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