Remember all those people playing Pokemon GO (Free) last summer? All those players you had to avoid while driving? According to a study published recently in the journal Media Psychology, all those players were happier and friendlier than those not playing Pokemon GO. The study wanted to look at how augmented reality games might benefit players’ psychological well-being, so it focused on Pokemon GO, since it’s the most popular AR game to date. The study looked at 399 US adults aged 18-75 about three weeks after the game went live and found that the game created positive emotions and nostalgia (probably nostalgia for the time when you would play outside of your bedroom).

At the same time, a large percentage of those interviewed were more likely than non-players to make new friends or strengthen old friendships. While these findings aren’t probably that surprising to most, it’s still interesting to see the psychological effects of Pokemon GO. We’ve often talked in the past about how Pokemon GO got people exercising more than they had in the past, but it’s good to know that the game also had positive psychological effects. If you want to read the whole study, go here.