I just recalled something I heard on the radio yesterday that concerned me so consider this a public service announcement of sorts. Please forgive my ignorance of the finer details of the Pokemon-Go game, but I’m assuming the idea is to follow clues to collect Pikachus? Anywho, a radio emcee had wondered if younger people/teens who were playing were being careful about their involvement. As an experiment, he went to a park, saw some teenagers playing, and indicated he had found a Pikachu and knew where there were some more. The kids got all excited and when he offered them a ride to the next place, they immediately agreed to go with him and headed towards his car. He was incredulous that they were so naive!
At that point, he asked the kids if they knew anything about him and, since they obviously didn’t, asked them why they would be so willing to get in a car with a complete stranger. They said that they didn’t worry about it because they were all playing the same game. He pointed out that, though that was the case, they could not be assured that he wasn’t a rapist or serial killer or anything really. The kids he spoke were 14 and 16 years old.
His point was that if it was that easy for him to dupe kids into getting into his car, it would be for anyone to do it. Although these kids were old enough for their parents to trust them to leave home on their own, he wasn’t sure it was a good idea in light of how easily coerced they were.
So, parents beware! Warn your children, even teens, of the dangers of going with someone they don’t know, regardless of how “nice” they seem.
This concludes my PSA of the day! Carry on and be careful out there! 😊
D. Elaine Wood-Lane
Sunshine Lane 