Augmented reality is cool, so is actual reality

In case you have not heard, (we hope you enjoyed the rock you’ve been living under), Actual Reality is so over. The latest take on reality is Augmented Reality.

And we have the massive digital phenomenon Pokémon Go to thank.

Pokémon Go is a new, free download that uses your phone’s GPS and clock to detect where you are and make Pokémon — a variety of monsterlike characters — appear around you. The goal is to move around and collect as many of these creatures as possible.

The game has been praised for getting people out of their homes and into the real, er, augmented world. In the past, like a full month ago, people would have gone out to visit museums, browse libraries and walk the streets, with hardly a purpose.

But now, thanks to Pokémon Go and Augmented Reality, they no longer have to wander aimlessly, visit a museum to explore the artifacts or go to a library to look at the books — they have an actual purpose! And that purpose is to collect virtual Pokémon characters. First, the concessions: Pokémon Go is popular for a reason. It is obviously a fun game, and the world could use a big dose of fun these days. We shall not be a buzzkill. Please enjoy.

Augmented Reality technology has huge potential for future applications in everything from journalism to health care. Pokémon Go has shown us its power. Let us continue to harness it.

The game has been reported to have plenty of mental and physical health benefits. There are stories of people suffering from mental-health issues who’ve been motivated to leave their homes to play the game and are feeling much better as a result. There are reports of people logging long miles to capture creatures, getting more exercise than ever. Those are all good things. The game also features PokéStops where players can meet and presumably interact, also a good thing. Now, the concerns: There are reports of people going into places they’re not supposed to, getting injured because they’re paying too much attention to their screens and not enough on their surroundings, and there have even been reports of robberies associated with the game.

And here’s the biggie: People may be out in the real world, but they are still fixated on their screens. They are not interacting with people and with their surroundings in an authentic way. They are staring at their phones. There is nothing wrong with exploring the world through an Augmented Reality game, but there is nothing wrong with Actual Reality either. Which leaves us with this request: Actual Reality can be pretty cool if you put down your phone and experience it. Now that you’re outside thanks to Pokémon Go, stay a while. We bet you’ll find Actual Reality is not so bad after all.