Pokémon hunting has greatly improved the physical activity of thousands of players around the world, but in a moderate way, and without being maintained over time.
Last summer, it was impossible not to cross them in the streets. Head down, staring at their smartphone and thumbs up, Pokémon hunters were everywhere. Almost 500 million people around the world have downloaded the game to their phones and swallowed miles to catch Squirtle, Pikachu, or Charmander.
At the time, everyone – writing Why actor the first – hailed an unexpected effect of Pokémon Go: sedentary people began to walk. Because moving is the prerequisite of this video game which combines geolocation and virtual reality to capture these imaginary creatures. But the craze quickly died down, according to a study published in the Christmas edition of British Medical Journal. If the physical activity of the players improved, the treasure hunt quickly bored them and they returned to the good old video games accessible from their sofa.
The fervor has subsided
Researchers from the prestigious Harvard University (United States) have indeed shown that the effort provided by the hunters was moderate, and above all, had not been maintained over time. To achieve these results, scientists followed more than 1,100 people aged 18 to 35 for 6 weeks. During the experiment, almost half became a Level 5 Trainer, meaning they had walked at least two hours to catch Pokémon.
During the study, the team observed a marked increase in the number of steps during the 1time week. The participants took 955 more steps than usual, equivalent to 11 minutes of additional physical activity per day.
But over time, the fervor of the hunters waned. They moved less and less to find their creatures, until their step count returned to their original level.
Good for the psyche
Despite these somewhat disappointing results, researchers remain optimistic. “What we found is exciting because our results show that in 6 weeks you can do a lot to improve physical activity,” says Eric Rimm, one of the authors. We just have to be more creative in figuring out how to get people moving ”.
The researchers also speculate that the effect of play might be different in children. In the latter, the benefits could be much wider, such as the creation of social bonds, as well as improved mood. A hypothesis that would join what psychologists and child psychiatrists explained to Why actor : Pokémon Go is a hobby good for the psychic health of budding hunters.
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