People gather in MTSU’s Quad to take part in the Pokémon Safari held there on July 27

Pokémon GO, currently ranked at the top of both iTunes and Google Play’s top free apps list, has not only become Murfreesboro’s newest craze, but it’s also created quite the shift in Murfreesboro’s normal social climate.

Since its release, Pokémon enthusiasts of all ages have been flocking daily to Murfreesboro’s many pokéstop hotspots to get the best possible experience out of the game.

MTSU’s quad, which is usually devoid of humanity during the summer months, has recently bolstered a flow of human traffic more closely resembling its busier fall and spring semesters. Also, now it isn’t uncommon to see hundreds of people gathered at Murfreesboro’s Public Square on any given night, using lures at the various pokéstops located there in order to increase their chances of catching a rare Pokémon or two.

It’s brought together many people who may never have interacted with each other otherwise, and created an environment which encourages friendly (and occasionally competitive) interaction.

Rose Summers, a 27-year-old Nashville resident, summed this up when she said, “I like how everyone finds a sense of unity in it. [When] I went to MTSU . . . you never really saw people walking around the Quad talking to random strangers.”

The boost in social interaction among its players isn’t the only positive reaction the game has brought about either. Many people have posted on social media about the benefits the game has had on both their physical and mental health.

People with social anxiety and depression posted about how the game encouraged them to leave their homes in order to find Pokémon that would be out of reach if they hadn’t. Others posted about how they were noticeably losing weight because of the sudden spike in the amount of exercise they were getting.

“I’m a big Xbox guy, so as opposed to sitting at home playing on my Xbox [I decided] I could go outside and meet some new people, catch some Pokémon, and get some exercise in, and that would be good,” said Chris Barrett, another 27-year-old player.

Though there has been some negativity arising from the actions of some who take the game too seriously, much positivity has resulted from the game as well.

One specific example was in Muncie, Ind., where people have volunteered to walk dogs at the Muncie Animal Shelter while they walked around playing the game.

Locally, there has been at least one organized meeting of players at the Greenway, where, while playing the game, people simultaneously cleared the area of garbage.