People, Place, and Pokémon: How Location-Based Games Enhance Well-Being
Degree type
Graduate group
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Subject
video games
positive gaming
play
well-being
high-quality connections
social ties
relationships
positive emotion
Pokémon Go
location-based technology
location awareness
community
place
public space
positive psychology
Communication Technology and New Media
Game Design
Other Psychology
Place and Environment
Social Psychology
Social Psychology and Interaction
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Abstract
Social connections and relationships are a critical component of overall human flourishing and well-being. Over time, the structure of physical spaces and how we engage with each other has changed. This paper explores how social ties impact well-being and how advances in technology have shifted people’s conception of public and private spaces and how we interact with each other in them It also examines both the positive and negative effects of video games on social connections and well-being with a focus on location-based games like Pokémon Go which blur the line between physical and virtual reality. It concludes with suggestions for how the disconnected disciplines of new media, place, and positive psychology can come together to explore the potential of location-based games to improve human well-being at scale.