Niantic’s Pokemon GO game has been somewhat of a cultural, social, and tech phenomenon. It not only highlighted the potential of augmented reality technology and how it could be used for gaming and commercialization, but it also had a social impact where it actually encouraged gamers to go out and exercise. It has also been found to be beneficial for mental health.
Now it seems that over in Japan, Pokemon GO has had yet another impact on society, and that is with regards to suicide. Over in Japan there is a natural landmark called Tojinbo in the Fukui Prefecture. From the photos it looks like a very scenic location, but unfortunately it has also gained notoriety as being a popular spot for people to commit suicide. However Pokemon GO has somehow managed to reduce that number to zero, at least in the first quarter of 2017.
How is this, you ask? Apparently an elusive Pokemon in the form of Girafarig has been known to spawn at that particular location, which has encouraged gamers from other provinces in Japan to visit the area. This has resulted in the area transforming from a quiet place where people can be left with their suicidal thoughts, to one where it is crowded with people having fun, which ultimately seems to have reduced the suicide rates in the area to zero.
We’re not sure if how scientific the correlation is, but it seems to have some kind of impact and we guess that’s a good thing.
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