#c-gear

Feeling Check!

Whether it is the Pokégear, PokéNav, PokéNav Plus, Pokétch, Holo Caster, C-Gear or the Pokédex; technology has been intertwined in the Pokémon trainer’s journey. The degree of involvement of technology and connectedness in the Pokémon games and anime certainly started out ahead of the real world, but we have seen an explosion of the ‘internet of things’ and people are living more connected lives than ever before. However, with this advancement some difficulties relating to mental health have emerged.

While it is standard assumption that individuals are spending too much time connected to their various devices, it is important to examine the actual numbers.  According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project (2010), approximately 39% of individuals ages 14-17 are connected online multiple times throughout the day.  The average adolescent owns 3.5 devices (i.e., cell phones, mp3 players, tablets, gaming devices, etc.), whereas the average adult owns just less than 3 devices.  As to what people are doing with these devices, there seems to be a decrease in overall use of blogging by teens though blogging has remained stable in adults. Among teens with internet access, 73% maintain a social media presence, a compared to 47% of adults.  General internet use is at 93% in individuals ages 12 to 29, though in the entire adult population of individuals 18 and older, internet usage is at 74%. The average adolescent is estimated to spend 6.5 hours per day involved with a media-connected device (Feldman, 2011).

There is some suggestion that this level of technological involvement leads to specific problems.  While a degree of the alarm over media usage may be a result of a shift in cultural values from the unconnected world to the connected one, there is research identifying areas where poor integration of these technologies and media are cause for concern.  This research covers a variety of areas of media use; and what follows is only a small section of the data available.

In a world that is always connected, communications and notifications do not need pause for sleep. Unsurprisingly, individuals who spent more time connecting during their typical sleep times and were more likely to check their notifications reported significantly worsened satisfaction with and greater disruption of their sleep (Murdock, Horissian, & Crichlow-Ball, 2017).

Increased connectivity and the near-ubiquity of social networking has brought with it greater opportunities for negative interactions and bullying has emerged as a significant concern in an environment often without adequate monitoring.  Cyberbullying can result in depression, anxiety, peer isolation, and suicide (O'Keeffe & Clarke-Pearson, 2011).

With regard to specific mental health concerns, there appears to be a correlation between high use of media-enabled devices and mental health symptoms.  As these devices become more involved with our lives, there is evidence to show that removal of said devices from those most often using them can trigger anxiety.  When an individual who maintains a high level of uses of these devices has their device removed from their possession, they tend to experience an escalating pattern of anxiety, even when only deprived of their device for 20 minutes (Cheever, Rosen, Carrier, & Chavez, 2014).  Individuals who experience this sort of anxiety also seem to be at greater risk for specific mental health diagnoses.  A study by Rosen, Whaling, Rab, Carrier, and Cheever (2013), found that Facebook use was associated with bipolar symptoms and a greater presence of symptoms of personality disorders, especially narcissistic personality disorder and histrionic personality disorder.  Overall amount of time online was linked to increased depressive symptoms.  This research did not find any connection with playing video games, using technology for work/education, using messenger services, or using email and specific mental health diagnoses.

This is not to say that this connectivity is an altogether bad thing:  there are benefits from this degree of connectivity.  Just as the various technological devices Pokémon trainers have utilized work to make themselves better trainers; the use of social media, the internet, and connectedness can help people in significant ways.  This high degree of connectivity can lead to more frequent communication and better socialization.  Access to the internet makes available opportunities for learning beyond what is taught in the classroom.  While the quality of information on the internet can be suspect, the internet can provide a breadth of knowledge otherwise unobtainable without significant expense.  Health information that an individual might feel uncomfortable discussing with others, even their primary care physician, can be obtained (O'Keeffe & Clarke-Pearson, 2011).

Having a higher number of Facebook friends is associated with decreased depressive symptoms.  It is believed that this may be to do with the ability of social media connect people that can then be used as social support when individuals experience depression.  In other words, people who are depressed and have a high number of Facebook friends will always have someone to talk to when they feel low (Rosen, Whaling, Rab, Carrier, & Cheever, 2013).

As real life catches up to its Pokémon counterpart, there’s a chance that we will also develop the wisdom to integrate technology in our lives in a way that allows us to live better, more meaningful ways; and without the mental health pitfalls that currently intertwine with technology/media use.  In the world of Pokémon, technology is used alongside getting out into the world, connecting with other people, and gaining new information.  Based upon the above-research, it is important to note that some of the negative effects of device/media use can be avoided and the positive effects increased.  As such, those living in the modern world would benefit from protecting their sleep from digital intrusions, using social media to build friendships, applying connectivity to knowledge development, and working to maintain moderate-to-low usage habits.

Works Cited:

Cheever, N. A., Rosen, L. D., Carrier, L. M., & Chavez, A. (2014).  Out of sight is not out of mind: The impact of restricting wireless mobile device use on anxiety levels among low, moderate and high users.  Computers in Human Behavior, 37, 290-297.

Feldman, R. S. (2011). Child Development (Sixth Edition) Prentice Hall.  New York.

Murdock, K. K., Horissian, M., & Crichlow-Ball, C. (2017).  Emerging adults’ text message use and sleep characteristics: A multimethod, naturalistic study.  Behavioral Sleep Medicine, 15, 228-241.

O'Keeffe, G. S. & Clarke-Pearson, K. (2011).  Clinical report – The impact of social media on children, adolescents, and families.  Pediatrics, 127, 800-804.

Pew Internet & American Life Project (2010).  Social media & mobile internet use among teens and young adults.  Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/files/old-media/Files/Reports/2010/PIP_Social_Media_and_Young_Adults_Report_Final_with_toplines.pdf

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In Europe the special Meloetta C-Gear Skin and Pokémon Musical downloads are starting up today, 3/29/2012,the Japanese version of this skin was released July 14, 2012. As before, no password is needed.

The skin is available only to Black 2 and White 2 players, yet the musical is also available to Black and White players.

The events run until May.

Add Halloween fun to your C-Gear!

Get a new Pumpkin Pikachu C-Gear skin for your Pokémon Black Version 2 orPokémon White Version 2 game at the Pokémon Global Link!

Dress up your C-Gear with a spooky C-Gear skin exclusively for your new Pokémon Black Version 2 or Pokémon White Version 2 game! Visit the PGL promotions page to claim it. The next time you use Game Sync with your Pokémon Black Version 2 or Pokémon White Version 2 game, the C-Gear skin will appear!

(You must be logged in to view the promotions available to you, and you must have a Pokémon Black Version 2 or Pokémon White Version 2 Game Card with its Game Sync ID registered at the Pokémon Global Link website to participate.)