IT seems that confronting the misuse of modern technology and smartphone apps has become our destiny. Statistics show that this misuse has dangerous consequences. The use of mobile camera for snapping selfies and the Internet for chatting and browsing social networking sites is often accompanied by negative reports. In other words, these technologies and apps are used by some people for purposes other than they were originally meant for often out of mere curiosity, and this has resulted in a number of terrible accidents. Today we are facing another crisis caused by the latest version of Pokemon Go, which is a free-to-play location-based augmented reality game developed by Niantic for iOS and Android devices. The company recently introduced Pokemon Go Plus, which is a small device that lets people enjoy Pokemon Go while they are on the move. The device connects to a smartphone via Bluetooth and notifies its users about events in the game such as the appearance of a Pokemon nearby using an LED and vibration. The game will allow the player to catch the Pokemons as they appear in the real world while he roams the streets and other public places. There were warnings about its imminent danger moments after the launch of Pokemon Go Plus. The electronic game has received wide publicity and acceptance around the world. Pokemon is considered the most searched word on the Internet and social networking sites since the game was launched on July 6. Although the game was made available only in three countries — the US, Australia and New Zealand — smart phone users in other countries circumvent the firewalls and download the app. Studies have shown that people spent more time on Pokemon Go than on Twitter with mobile phone users playing the game for an average of 45 minutes daily. This is much higher than the time they spend on Instagram and WhatsApp, and it indicates people's obsession with the game within a few days of its launch. When such new technologies and apps appear it will be accompanied by negative developments as a result of their misuse by people whose curiosity leads them to dangerous accidents and other negative incidents. According to a study published in 2014, about 15 people faced electronic blackmail daily through social networking sites that year. In the same year, the victims of such blackmailing incidents in Arab countries rose to 30,000. On Oct. 9, 2014, the Snapchat site was hacked exposing 90,000 photos and 9,000 videos to piracy. At least 10 percent of the photos pirated were of private moments. Snapchat had introduced itself as an app with solid security systems that cannot be hacked. Mash Apple of America disclosed that the number of people killed while taking selfies (12) was more than the number of people killed by sharks (8) in 2015. Najm Insurance Services Co., meanwhile, said mobile phones are more dangerous than traditional weapons such as the gun, which kills 290 annually while accidents caused by the use of mobile phones kill 3,328 people a year. Today we are facing a new mania called Pokemon Go, which is more dangerous than the technologies and apps I have mentioned above. Other apps and technologies would not cause any danger if used properly and for the purpose it was produced. On the other hand, Pokemon is designed for entertainment that does not consider the safety of others. The app is designed to search for Pokemons in the street while driving. This is really dangerous not only to the driver but other road users as well. Soon after its launch, several dangerous road accidents have occurred worldwide and pictures of the accidents have been circulated through social media sites. In Massachusetts, a dangerous road crash occurred when a driver stopped his car abruptly on an expressway to catch a Pokemon. In another incident, a teenage girl stumbled on a dead body near her house while hunting Pokemons. The app can be used to encroach into the privacy of people. With the help of Google map, players can be located wherever they go in search of Pokemons. We have to be extremely cautious about the negative consequences of this game, which has already created a number of victims. We have to use all means to enlighten the public on the danger posed by this game. Many young men and women are likely to play this game to fight off monotony and kill free time this summer and they will be wandering streets to catch Pokemons. There is a famous quote that says the cure for boredom is curiosity but there is no cure for curiosity. History testifies that curiosity mania kills.
