eir opponents. Pokemon is cognitively appealing to children because this is where they are at developmentally. Children like the ordering, computing and categorizing which is involved in mastering the art of Pokemon. Pokemon is a uniquely positive game. Stephanie Pratola, a child psychologist, explains, “You have to look at in the context of our culture. We are all obsessed with acquiring things and we can’t expect our children to rise above our culture” (Hooked.) Contrary to popular belief, Pokemon has positive lessons to be learned. First, the game is a social time for children to engage in friendly play. Second, the game fosters cooperation. It takes the help of one’s playmates to capture and train all one hundred and fifty plus Pokemon. Third, the game helps the player develop skills in strategy, thinking and memorization. The game also encourages a child to develop reading skills so he can achieve mastery. Fourth, the game promotes negotiation and organization skills that may be useful in life. Pokemon helps develop skills in the life of a young person that will provide a foundation for success. Parents should be quick to see that Pokemon encourages traditional values such as empathy, cooperation, obedience and humility. Becoming a real Pokemon trainer takes compassion, responsibility and teamwork. Parents should be proud to have such positive qualities blossoming within their children. In fact, Dr. Joyce Brothers praises the phenomenon’s value by reflecting that the whole point of the game is to save somebody, train them, feel responsibility and compassion (People Weekly.) In conclusion, many companies are getting rich as a result of the Pokemon mania. Nintendo, which created the game that started the craze; Hasbro, which locked in on the toy licenses; Wizards of the Coast, which invented the card game and Warner Brothers, which bought the rights to the cartoon have generated ...
