School of Medicine and Health Sciences Poster Presentations

Videogame-Related Illness and Injury: A Review of the Literature and Predictions for Pokemon GO!

Document Type

Poster

Keywords

Injury; Pokemon GO; Videogame

Publication Date

Spring 2017

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

Reports of videogame-related illness and injury soon emerged in the literature with the inception of videogame systems and subsequent development of novel gaming platforms and technologies. In an effort to better detail the impacts of these phenomena and provide recommendations for injury prevention as it relates to Pokemon Go and the larger world of augmented reality games, we conducted an extensive systems-based review of past trends in videogame-related illness and injury from the literature.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

A literature review using PubMed, Medline, and PsycInfo databases with search terms "Pokemon GO," "videogame injuries," "augmented reality injuries," and "Nintendo Injury" was performed. The search was limited to the English language, and the Boolean were used to combine the search terms.

RESULTS:

The literature search yielded 359 peer-reviewed articles, 44 of which met the study criteria and included in the review. Seventeen additional popular press reports detailing injuries related to Pokémon Go were also incorporated. Videogame-related injuries and illness include both physical trauma as well as psychological and behavioral disorder with unique patterns of injury and illness linked to specific gaming platforms.

CONCLUSIONS:

As videogames become increasingly advanced and immersive, they expose players to unique and often more serious injury and illness. Augmented reality games, such as Pokemon GO, are the next step in the evolution of this trend and likely portend a future in which many pathologic processes may become increasingly common.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

Open Access

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Comments

Poster to be presented at GW Annual Research Days 2017.

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Videogame-Related Illness and Injury: A Review of the Literature and Predictions for Pokemon GO!

OBJECTIVE:

Reports of videogame-related illness and injury soon emerged in the literature with the inception of videogame systems and subsequent development of novel gaming platforms and technologies. In an effort to better detail the impacts of these phenomena and provide recommendations for injury prevention as it relates to Pokemon Go and the larger world of augmented reality games, we conducted an extensive systems-based review of past trends in videogame-related illness and injury from the literature.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

A literature review using PubMed, Medline, and PsycInfo databases with search terms "Pokemon GO," "videogame injuries," "augmented reality injuries," and "Nintendo Injury" was performed. The search was limited to the English language, and the Boolean were used to combine the search terms.

RESULTS:

The literature search yielded 359 peer-reviewed articles, 44 of which met the study criteria and included in the review. Seventeen additional popular press reports detailing injuries related to Pokémon Go were also incorporated. Videogame-related injuries and illness include both physical trauma as well as psychological and behavioral disorder with unique patterns of injury and illness linked to specific gaming platforms.

CONCLUSIONS:

As videogames become increasingly advanced and immersive, they expose players to unique and often more serious injury and illness. Augmented reality games, such as Pokemon GO, are the next step in the evolution of this trend and likely portend a future in which many pathologic processes may become increasingly common.