"I Uninstalled Pokemon Go and I'm Okay With That"

#PokemonGO: I think this will be a divisive post, and that's okay. I just wanted to share some thoughts that I've been having for awhile.I've played Pokemon Go since the days after which it came out. I started playing it when I still lived in the suburbs. Even then, I loved the game. I enjoyed going outside and seeing the random Pokemon spawn, filling up my Pokedex. I enjoyed seeing locations that I had walked by my whole life, now filled with Pokemon. It was incredible. I just focused on catching Pokemon. Eventually I played the game less due to living in the suburbs.When I moved to the city later that year, I discovered how the was meant to be played. Pokestops were everywhere, so were gyms. I was a noob, I didn't learn about research tasks or really spinning daily Pokestops until 2018. At any rate, I really got into the game at this point. I played during every Community Day, and I just had a great time playing the game. I did spend my fair share of money on the game, I enjoyed what I spent my money on and thought I got a fair bit of enjoyment for my money's worth.2019 came and I was still playing the game as heavily, but I started noticing a trend of time spent glued to my phone, and less in the real world. Not everyone is going to have this issue, so it's up to the individual. I would focus on going to gyms, eager to get a gold badge, or make sure that I got my daily Pokecoins. It certainly wasn't healthy. Events seemed to happen more often, I felt more pushed to do things in-game and felt myself getting burned out.I noticed that with 2020, there was a step back in terms of gameplay. Things felt more relaxed, I felt as though my love for the game was rekindled. I gladly paid for my Pokemon Go Fest ticket, and enjoyed the first day...until something happened.For all of the hours per day I put into the game, I didn't really seem to get anything back. The initial rush was gone just as soon as it had come. I spent more on remote raid passes in the hopes of getting a shiny, but nothing (I'm not saying that I deserve shinies, but I will say that some people seem to get them a lot more than others, and I think that can push some to get raid passes or go hunting more often in the hopes of getting them).Megas came and went, events started getting pushed out more rapidly. The COVID-19 bonuses were removed only to readded. There seemed to be an increased push for money. I get it, it's a game, it has to make money. However, the game seems back at a "rushed" pace. What I mean by this, is that it feels as though it's built around FOMO.I don't have this type of time to burn anymore, both in terms of just having it, as well as the desire to. I want to look around the world in me in wonder at nature, or seeing buildings, not glued to my phone screen. I don't want to think about doing a daily action in a game to get a smidge more XP, or how much more distance I should walk to hatch an egg, rather than just for the sake of my health and because I enjoy walking as a hobby.It still has a place in my heart as a game I really enjoyed with friends, but I can't put any more time towards it.I uninstalled the game and I'm okay with that. via /r/pokemongo https://ift.tt/3b9XaEJ