Pokemon GO is the Summer's New 'Netflix and Chill'
It's already bigger than Tinder, and for good reason.
As I traipsed from public libraries to train stations this weekend, tracking Digletts and Polywhirls on Pokemon GO, something gave me hope for the future.
It wasn't the abundance of Pokestops by my house. It wasn't the gorgeous weather that I might've missed out on had I not been desperately trying to capture my first Gym. It wasn't even the fact that no one tried to rob me despite the chances of success being approximately 100 times greater since my full attention was glued to the addicting app.
No, what really warmed my heart was all the people, and in particular all the young couples, who with hands wrapped around their phones and arms wrapped around each other, were out trying to be the very best, like no one ever was.
Solely by virtue of its endless opportunities to say things like "There are a lot of Magicarp in the sea, but I'm looking for a Gyarados," Pokemon GO is already the greatest thing to happen to dating since "dinner and a movie."
We could write a whole article using JUST the pick-up lines you could use to slay the cutie on the street corner who just toppled your Gym, but there's much more to Pokemon GO that puts it on track to becoming the next great dating app.
1. It's way better than saying you met on Tinder.
Honestly, I don't get the stigma that surrounds telling people you and your significant other met on Tinder. Like, if it happened just own it, right? But there's no arguing the fact that saying you bumped into each other while trying to catch the same Bulbasaur is a far better story to tell your grandkids than, 'Well, grandpa was holding up a really big fish in his Tinder picture, and I just couldn't resist."
2. It makes for an active, outdoor summer date.
Ordering in Grubhub and arguing about which movie to watch may be a great way to spend time with your honey during those winter months when 1,000 years of scraping ice won't make your car driveable. Baby, it's cold outside, right?
But who wants to be cooped up like that in the summer, when the sun is shining and the beaches are packed? You ought to be outside soaking up rays and running barefoot through fields, and chasing down a Pokemon is your perfect excuse to do so.
3. It's spontaneous in a way that dating now just....isn't.
We're all guilty of trolling Tinder looking for an easy confidence boost. We get a cute match and think, "Oh, neat. Someone cute matched me." Feeling validated, we lock our phones and never bother to even speak to them, because hey, swiping is easy, but human connection is hard.
Unless you already have a mutual love of Pokemon to bond over.....
Now, the next time you see a real-life hottie frantically swiping at her phone, you've got your in.
4. Like a Ditto, it's versatile.
You can incorporate "Catch 'em all and chill" into almost any romantic situation.
Need a cute date idea to impress a new bae? How 'bout a trip to the beach to catch that Dratini they've been after? Lay out a picnic, set a lure and let Pokemon roll in.
Or maybe picnics aren't your style. Well, not only is the restaurant around the corner a great place to test your Pokemettle, but they've got half-price appetizers after five and there are a few Pokestops on the way.
5. It doesn't bring real people together on a virtual platform. It uses a virtual platform to bring people together in the real world.
Maybe it's overly sentimental, but every morning I sit on the train and watch people glued to their phones, swiping, gramming, and otherwise managing their real relationships via the virtual world.
Now, it's great to see an app that—rather than boxing us into a fandom or a "community page"—actually uses technology to force us into the wide world to interact with REAL people.
That's shit you definitely won't find on OKCupid.