Loneliness Epidemic: How Pokémon GO is helping create connections

CLOVIS, Calif. -- In the historic Old Town neighborhood of Clovis, Calif., Pokémon GO players meet not only to catch virtual monsters, but also to find friendships.

"A lot of people who usually tend to keep to themselves, they see other people with similar interests that they have and they start to open up and start to talk," said Ociris Gaona, who hosts Pokémon GO meetups in Old Town Clovis.

Pokémon GO is a mobile game played using location tracking and mapping technology on a smartphone, and allows players to come together to catch, battle, and train Pokémon.

Gaona and his girlfriend Anna Olea are regular Pokémon GO Players. The couple sees how the game not only brings people out of their shells, but it's also super effective in tackling loneliness.

"There's a player specifically that she moved out here," said Olea. "She used to live two hours from here, and she told me that she was lonely all the time. Then, when she moved here, she put herself out there and her husband as well."

Loneliness and anxiety are feelings that Gaona and Olea continue to battle.

"The game has helped me a lot," said Olea. "Only because it's hard for me to make friends without overthinking it. The game has put me out there a lot more."

Gaona started hosting meet-ups in June 2024. Since then, it's continued to evolve. His most recent meet-up on April 19 saw close to 200 people. It's spawned into dozens of players of all ages walking around Old Town Clovis.

"It's meant to be played socially," said Gaona. "But there are a lot of players, they're not social, they're introverts. Certain events in the game require you to be part of a bigger party in order to complete the task."

Not only are people leveling up friendships, but they're also getting exercise. No matter your skill level or your experience points, everyone is welcome to try and catch them all.

"If you are shy and you're really reserved in coming out to the public, don't be," said Gaona. "You have a lot of like-minded people here who will enjoy your company."

This story is part of the "Our America: Mental State - The Loneliness Epidemic" series. The collaboration between ABC News and the ABC Owned Television Stations aims to share reporting on how to build social connections, with a focus on stories about kids, caregivers, the workplace, the election, the holidays, and anyone looking to learn how to take care of themselves and others.

Click here for all the stories and videos in our series, "Our America: Mental State - The Loneliness Epidemic.