People are getting seriously hurt while playing Pokémon Go

Have you wondered why there's been an increase in phone zombies wandering around staring down at their screens lately?

The release of the new Pokémon Go game might have something to do with it, with the virtual reality game sending people on a treasure hunt to capture Pokémon as they appear in the real world.

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And no surprises here, it seems people are getting seriously hurt as they forget to pay attention to their surroundings, with Reddit users revealing the extent of their injuries.

“Not even 30 minutes after the release last night, I slipped and fell down a ditch,” wrote one. “Fractured the fifth metatarsal bone in my foot, 6-8 weeks for recovery. I told all the doctors I was walking my dog lol... Watch where you're going, folks!”

“I fell and cracked my ankle Thursday night! Damn PoGo,” said another of the walking wounded.

“I got excited about a Weedle and slammed my face on my desk,” added another Pokémon Go gamer. “Down for a week.”

That’s not the least of it, with gamers also falling victim to crime as they wander around trying to capture Pokémon.

A Chicago teen was reportedly stabbed and mugged after wandering into a bad neighbourhood and not realising it.

“This kid was just looking at his phone I don’t think he had any idea where he was at or that he was being stabbed,” a witness revealed.

In Missouri, police issued a warning after armed robbers used the game to try and tempt victims to a secluded area so they could be easily targeted.

“You can add a beacon to a pokestop to lure more players,” says a police spokesperson. “Apparently they were using the app to locate [people] standing around in the middle of a parking lot or whatever other location they were in.”

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