This blog post first appeared on Malta Today

In a world which seems to be imploding, with terrorists carrying out random strikes in the most unexpected places, and in the most unexpected of ways, a digital game has come along to make us all momentarily escape from the news which brings fresh death tolls every day.

Of course, there is a downside. Accidents have been reported in the United States because there are always those who are greatly deficient in common sense. Driving and looking at your iPhone while hunting for the virtual creatures known as Pokemons was obviously never the intention of those who created the game, but alas, there is no cure for stupidity.

Beyond the game itself, there is the usual debate. Has this type of new technology really sealed the fate of us as human beings, turning us into mindless zombies who follow a trend just because, well, just because it is a trend? On the face of it, it is easy to see why technology-haters are bashing the game. The sight of kids (and adults) with their heads bent over their iPhones walking along the road to catch the virtual creatures on their screen, appears to many to be the final, undisputed piece of proof that we have been collectively brainwashed into accepting anything which is fed to us through our mobiles. From selfies to selfie sticks, from Snapchat to face swap, from Instagram to WhatsApp, from emails to Messenger …and of course, the relentless, endless, infinite flow of information which comes at us via our Facebook newsfeed which we scroll through automatically even as we are out ostensibly “socializing”.

It is all there on that little device which fits so snugly into the palm of our hands and which, when it is not there, causes us to become frantic with anxiety and overcome by a mild sense of panic. “Where’s my phone? WHERE IS my phone?”

OK, let me backtrack, that does not hold true for everyone, granted. Maybe I was just talking about myself, a self-confessed iPhone addict. Which is the very reason I have not downloaded the Pokemon Go app, and probably never will. While admiring the ingenuity of the idea, I think I will give it a miss, because the last thing I need is to have yet another reason to check my phone.

What does interest me, however, is not only the way it has captured the world’s imagination almost overnight, but the fact that it has triggered a certain kind of mass behaviour which I find fascinating from a psychological point of view. Some have praised it because it has at least got children and teenagers to leave their homes, and physically walk from place to place to catch the Pokemons. They might still have their eyes on their screens, but at least their bodies are moving. not sinking even further into the depths of their sofas and armchairs at home. People who hate the game, however, point out that it has made it even more impossible for parents to curtail what is known as “screen time” as their offspring will definitely not be able to peel their eyes away from their phones now.

Another criticism is that the Pokemon Go craze has further aggravated the disconnection which they claim technology has caused between people. (Of course, it is highly ironic, that those who shout the loudest about this supposed rift in one-on-one communication make this claim …on their Facebook wall. I mean if they hate technology so much, why are they always on FB?).

Personally, I have my doubts about all the accusing fingers being pointed at the Pokemon game because it seems to me that it has simply created a buzz which has got people talking together as they joke about the Pokemons they have captured. There are lots of way to connect to others, a shared hobby being one of them, and this definitely falls into that category. In fact, a story I came across on FB by the mother of an autistic boy who recounted her experience, could not be further from the doomsday scenario painted by the Pokemon-haters. Usually non-verbal and anti-social, her child became excited by the game, and was interacting with other children and adults as he hunted for Pokemons. In a world which is full of hatred, macabre killings and ruthless extremists, I think we deserve to allow our mind to escape into some harmless fun, if only to retain some form of sanity.

Those who go overboard and obsess to the point that they are causing traffic accidents or are putting their own lives at risk, obviously need to stay away from any vehicles and simply play the game while they are on foot. The answer though, is not to ban the game. Technology is a marvelous, wonderful tool with limitless possibilities, but it all depends on your attitude and how you use it, which will prevent it from turning into something compulsive and negative.

I suppose you could almost compare it to the way people handle religion – which can either be an uplifting, comforting experience, or else is something which is used by extreme fanatics as an excuse to blow themselves (and others) up.