I went for a 5k walk yesterday. Caught about 10 pokemons and hatched 2 eggs. The amount of time looking at the screen was less than 5 minutes. It was in my pocket, my headphones were on. When I was in range of something I heard a sound from the app, grabbed the phone, caught my pokemon, continued enjoying my walk and watching the scenery. It is not a game where you have to have 100% attention, the app just needs to be on and it can be on in your pocket. Maybe you should give it a whirl so you don't mischaracterize how it is used.
I wasn't going to go for a walk yesterday, I did because of this app.
Depressing? The excitement of my kids running down a bike path along a river last weekend was not depressing. The squeals of joy when new pokemon were captured at that gas station we pulled into was not depressing. An hour long ride home from a fishing trip that took 3 hours because we were stopping in every town and driving around to pokie stops and catching pokemon was not depressing. These towns are amazing by the way. I love wild west history and some of these towns in the midwest look like they are frozen in time. Amazing brick facades and really cool architecture. I would not have had that adventure I had last weekend if it wasn't for this app. If I didn't have that app, it would have been highway 61 south for 60 miles and that's it.
This is ANYTHING but depressing. It's enhancing. It's very easy to get into routine, or just keep a trip simple and basic. This app inspires a sense of get out there and look around. Maybe in the same way that your dogs do for you. See I dont have dogs, but this gets me out there like your dogs get you out there.