College Students' Attraction to the Mobile Augmented Reality Game Pokémon Go

Recent headlines show instances of the popular augmented reality game Pokémon Go. Higher educators are watching students engage with schools in their community as they search for elusive Pokémon characters on mobile devices. But, technology is not without risk (i.e. privacy, physical harm) that must be considered. This article reports results of a mixed-methods study, in which 452 college students revealed their motivations for using the mobile augmented reality game Pokémon Go. The authors examined student survey data to find whether race, gender, or age influenced who played the game. In addition, the authors' findings included student perceptions as to Pokémon Go's risks and benefits, learning, and student recommendations for improving the game. Furthermore, based on their findings, the authors discuss how augmented reality games can be useful for learning, building community and social capital.