A more comfortable way of being alone

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Just when I thought that all hope had been lost for decent journalistic analysis a small article comes along yesterday in the London Evening Standard about Pokemon. More precisely, the article is about why large parts of the world might be fiddling with Pokemon Go on their mobile phones while large parts of Syria burn and women that are raped in Qatar are accused of having sex outside marriage. People are even trying to catch Pokemon in Auschwitz. OMG.

So what’s it all about then? The article, by Sam Leith, suggests that the obsession could represent a more comfortable way of being alone. The world, which is chaotic and scary, has been turned into an occult map that is, above all else, understandable. “Poundland animism in an age of disenchantment.”

Leith also makes a connection with JG Ballard, who pointed towards “ever-absurder collocations of the brutal and frivolous.” Bread and circuses for those brought up with Call of Duty and Fruit Ninja perhaps.

Article here.

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