Many years ago, virtual little hand-held “pets” called Tamagotchis hit the toy store scene, and parents and kids alike went nuts trying to get their hands on one. Around that time, I got into a conversation with an online friend about the little electronic toys, which you fed, washed and took care of via tiny little buttons on the egg-sized electronic.
What made them so cool and exciting (and different from say, a stuffed animal), was that you were getting feedback from the “pet,” and could respond accordingly. However, my friend said that she didn’t like the thought of virtual pets because she didn’t think they taught kids the right things about pet care and responsibility, that because there were no real consequences kids wouldn’t give a second thought to tossing the toy, and eventually a real pet, away when they were tired with it.
With this Christmas’s toy of choice being something similar – a furry, mechanical hamster that can run through tubes (am I the only one tired of hearing about Zhu Zhu Pets?) – I remembered my friend’s take on the toys, and it’s got me thinking about it again.
As a parent now, I can see her point, but I’ve also seen first hand that my kids do know the difference between their real pets that require feeding, grooming and care, as opposed to the virtual pet toys they’ve had (including the aforementioned Tamagotchi).
What do you think? Do you think these virtual toy pets make it too easy for kids to think real pets are just as disposable?
[image: amazon]
Post from: Blisstree