The long-awaited app Pokemon Go was released July 6. Saying that the fan base appreciated it is the understatement of the summer. It’s been downloaded by more than 50 million users, almost 1% of the world’s population, and on July 12 it was officially named the most popular game ever in the U.S by SurveyMonkey Intelligence, coming second to

The app is similar to the original year Nintendo D.S. game, a role-playing game where you have to search for and battle Pokemon creatures, with some minor differences. The phone uses GPS to track your location, and enables its camera to produce your surroundings on your iPhone or Android. From there it produces Pokemon on your screen whom you try to capture with Pokeballs.

As the Parker school year progresses, the app is still at its peak. How the app will affect student life is still in question.

Freshman Chloe Bartelstein, who plays Pokemon Go, recognizes it as a mixed blessing. “Pokemon Go is usually really fun,” Bartelstein, “but there have been some bad situations that have happened because of it.” People have used the app to lure people in and rob them at gunpoint, and a teen in Wyoming found a dead body instead of Pikachu, a yellow, rodent-like, Pokemon character.

“I don’t play it in school,” Bartelstein said, “but I did play it before school started when there was volleyball practice.” Bartelstein has seen people playing Pokemon Go in school while walking to their classes.

According to Bartelstein, though there aren’t many Pokemon to catch at Parker, there’s a place to battle them. “There is a gym at school,” Bartelstein said, “which is a place where people can go and battle their Pokemon.” A gym is where players train their Pokemon and battle other pokemon to get more experience.

Playing Pokemon Go at school, Bartelstein said, has its downsides. “It’s a bit distracting, even when you are not in class,” Bartelstein said. “If you are in the hallway looking down on your phone, you could run into someone, or even miss a class.”

IT Director Peter Evans stated that before school started, people were in a panic that the app would affect school life.

“There was a lot of worry before school started by other people in technology at schools concerned that it was going to be a problem,” Evans said, “but I have yet to hear that there was a problem.”

Evans has heard of no problems concerning the app and student life. “I know that I haven’t heard any complaints about Pokemon Go here, and I haven’t heard about it being an issue in any other schools.”

Library assistant Melissa Morgan agreed. “Earlier in the year there were students coming by playing Pokemon Go,” Morgan said, “but recently I have not really noticed anyone playing.”

According to Morgan, Parker students have been very respectful when playing the app. “The students playing are usually really quiet about it,” Morgan said. “They weren’t loud, they weren’t disturbing.”

When asked if Pokemon Go was school appropriate, sixth grader Jack Hughes said it depended on the player. “I’ve seen some high schoolers on the field playing Pokemon Go,” Hughes said. “It distracts. In terms of high schoolers, it’s okay only if it’s not distracting them from doing their work. In high school you have a lot of homework. It shouldn’t get in the way of that.”