The summer of 2016 will forever be remembered for Pokémon-Go, the mobile game app that exploded onto the global scene and then flamed out as quickly as it ignited. However, according to author and innovative thinker Steven Johnson, “Pokemania” likely has more long-term ramifications than its three-months of popularity would suggest. “The chains of effects are almost impossible to predict,” said Johnson in a recent interview with The Independent. “But if you’re looking for what people are going to do next, look at what people are doing for fun — [like last] summer with Pokémon-Go. In 20 years, if we’re all walking around with augmented reality, staring at the world with digital information overlaid around that universe, we’ll look back and say, “Yes, this started with kids running through the streets trying to capture imaginary monsters.”
In his latest book, Wonderland, How Play Made the Modern World, Johnson explores this concept through six topics — fashion and shopping, music, taste, illusion, games, and public spaces — past times initially created to satisfy leisure desires that became the seeds of some of the most tremendous advancements in the world. For example, in the Fashion and Shopping chapter, he makes an excellent argument that the soft fabrics desired by the English in the 17th century ultimately led to the Industrial Revolution. I recently spoke over the phone with Johnson about how our pursuit of pleasure has shaped the history of the world.
I recently read your new book Wonderland: How Play Made the Modern World. I found it riveting. Oh, good. You know, it hasn’t even come out yet, so you’re like the fourth person I’ve talked to who wasn’t involved in the production of it. [Laughs] So that’s good to hear. I’m glad you liked it.