Virtual Pet
A digital pet (a virtual
pet or artificial pet) is a kind of artificial human friend.
They are generally kept for friendship or fun. You can keep
a digital pet instead of a live pet by joining a virtual pet
adoption website.
Digital pets are unique; as they do not have rigid physical
form except the hardware they run on. Communication with
virtual pets can be goal oriented at virtual pet adoption
websites. If it is, then you must keep it alive in the cyber
pet adoption site as much as possible and often assist it to
convert into higher forms. Helping the pet live and grow
usually needs 'feeding', tending and playing with it, which
would be available in the virtual pet adoption site. If the
communication is not goal oriented, you can determine the
nature of the pet and enjoy the idea of developing a
relationship with it. Usually these cyber pet adoption sites
work on realistic visual effects or communication to make
the pet look alive and offer a feel of reality to users of
the virtual pet adoption sites.
Digital pets were a big craze in Japan, and to a smaller
degree in the US and UK inthe late 1990s. There have been
major enhancements of digital pets since Tamagotchi's
success when it was introduced in 1996, from dot-images
(like Tamagotchi) to portrayed and animated 3D games (like
Nintendogs). Nowadays, there are also "Digital Pets"
possessing physical robotic bodies, called as Ludobots or
Entertainment robots and you can get them at the virtual pet
adoption centers.
The idea of an animal friend made by technology instead of
flesh has also encouraged plenty of fiction, like the anime
Digimon (a short form of "Digital Monster").
Idea of reality
To provide an idea of reality to users of virtual pet
adoption sites, many digital pets have specific level of
independence and irregularity. You can relate to the pet and
this method of personalization can make the pet more unique.
Personalization increases the sense of responsibility for
you. E.g, if a Tamagotchi is uncared for long time, it will
"die".
Digital pets and kids
While virtual pet adoption users are free to do whatever
they want with their digital pets today, it may develop bad
habits in young children. It is debatable that a
relationship with a digital pet will not be equal to an
actual relationship with an animal, since actual
relationship teaches children that their desires will not
always be met.
Advantage of Digital pets over real pets
Some people say that virtual pet adoption is better for
numerous reasons. A digital pet ensures real pets don't
suffer, and it is a nice training for adopting a real pet.
PETA says that virtual pet adoption will allow people to
accept that they cannot handle the commitment of looking
after a live animal. Another valid argument is that through
virtual pet adoption a digital pet can effectively replace a
live one for children who cannot look after a real pet, like
those suffering from allergies.
I wish you all the best on your
virtual pet adoption adventure!
Best wishes,
Thomas T :)
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