Tamagotchi effect facts for kids

The Tamagotchi effect is the development of emotional attachment with machines, robots or software agents. It has been noticed that humans tend to attach emotionally to things which otherwise do not have any emotions. For example, there are instances when people feel emotional about using their car keys, or with virtual pets. It is more prominent in applications which reflect some aspects of human behavior or characteristics, especially levels of artificial intelligence and automated knowledge processing.

Tamagotchi Toy

The Japanese toy, the Tamagotchi was released in 1996. As of 2010, more than 76 million Tamagotchis have been sold worldwide. This toy is an egg-shaped virtual pet. It is used by all ages. The user chooses an object, pet, or person to raise an egg to a creature. Another example of virtual pets is a virtual puppy game. In this game, the user takes the role of the mother or father to raise the puppy into an adult. The user feeds, bathes, and even plays with the virtual animal. The user gains an emotional attachment with the puppy which encourages the user to keep interacting with the pet and to be a good parent.

A criticism when the toy first came out was the life expectancy of the pet if left unattended. If the original versions were not attended to, the pet would 'die' within half a day, causing both emotional distress and them having to reset their device. This would cause owners to take their pet with them wherever they went, which resulted in distractions in their daily lives. This caused many schools to ban the use of Tamagotchis. Whilst this problem was negated in newer models by the addition of a pause feature, the "Tamagotchi effect" had already gained mainstream media attention.

Virtual 'friends'

Having friends and friendships is a vital piece to human interaction and well-being in today's society. Unfortunately, people may struggle for this basic need based on time restrictions and other commitments. Because of this, many are turning to the convenience of using technology to have a "virtual friend." These virtual friends are designed to interact with people in the same fashion as a human friend would. They can range from a simple handheld pet all the way to possessing individual personalities and emotions, as real people do. Those most likely to form emotional attachments are likely anxious-ambivalent individuals, who tend to experience high levels of distress and a need for strong relationships.

Advantages

Virtual ‘friends’ can provide people with a sense of security and self-confidence. This can pose to be especially true in those who have difficulty communicating or interacting with others. People may look to their virtual friends for positive encouragement or just companionship.

Disadvantages

While these virtual ‘friends’ are doing a lot of good for people, there is also the need for concern on over-reliance. Depending so much on these figures could potentially lead to isolation from the real world. This may then, in turn, escalate to a difficulty of differentiating between reality and fantasy, which is especially influential in children.

Marketing strategies

The definition of The Tamagotchi Effect and the attachment to these devices makes it possible for companies to market and profit from this effect. New research has found that customers often develop strong emotional ties to products and services they use. This suggests that companies can attract lifelong customers. Companies can adjust their marketing strategies to focus on these types of individuals, who stay faithful to brands that earn their trust.

Future developments

There is a strong indication that the future will hold a place for technological, lifelike entities. These human-to-machine relationships may one day come to be methodically equivalent to relationships between living things.