Strange Fads, Part 2 – Tamagotchi

Just when I thought the Pet Rock was strange, the mid-1990s brought another fad in the form of the Tamagotchi. And just like the rock, people had to take care of this pet. But what made this fad different was Tamagotchi pets could pass away if not cared for properly. And it was this requirement that kept people constantly riveted for, literally, months on end.

In fact, people were so devoted to it that the help of friends would be enlisted to tend to their electronic pets when they were away at meetings or lunches. Family members would be called in when people were out doing errands or on vacations in bodies of water.

Tamagotchi

This electronic pet was created by the The Japanese toy manufacturer Bandai. Apart from making physical toys, Bandai also makes computer games for consoles such as the PlayStation, the Wii, and the Xbox.

The design is that of a small egg with a black and white liquid crystal display, or LCD, on one side and a key chain attached to the top. And after having rolled out the first unit back in 1996, it is estimated to have sold as many as 76 million by the year 2010.

After the moment the pet is hatched, an owner will need to spend time caring for it by feeding it and cleaning its droppings. As the pet grows, it can be toilet trained so owners do not have to clean up after it. And when it falls sick, medicine would have to be administered.

The games was quite realistic in the sense that pets could die from lack of food or medicine. Some had their own waking and sleeping cycles. They could also live to a ripe old age and even sire offspring.

As the technology evolved, infrared communication would allow two different Tamagotchis to make friends, play games, and even exchange gifts. A couple could even marry with the female laying two eggs, one for each parent.

Quite a bit of time needed to be devoted to the game, much like that of real pets. And it got to the point where people would schedule their lives around these virtual pets.

Strange Fad

I remember first encountering this fad when I was at work. A couple of my bosses had purchased the game and had gotten so attached to it that their work was literally affected. Meetings would be interrupted by people in a panic when they heard the chirping of their hungry pets.

When one of the bosses needed to make client calls, the Tamagotchi would be left in the care of other bosses or employees. And while that should have already raised eyebrows among other emplyees, things would take a turn for the worse when pets died.

Arguments would include shouting, “Do you know how long I nurtured my Tamagotchi only to have your insensitivity let it pass away?” Yes, quite a lot of arguments took place in the office. And on one rare occasion, I heard of a young boyfriend-girlfriend break up because one partner was deemed a poor parent.

Final Thoughts

Unlike the Pet Rocks of the 1970s, the different versions of Tamagotchis actually did something with pets being able to live a full life. And in order to maximize the life of their pets, people had to devote an enormous amount of time and effort into raising them.

I myself wonder why people didn’t just buy a real pet because they spent just as much time with it. It was only after my boss’ pets died three times that I realized what the answer was – convenience. All they had to was switch it off and they could get their lives back in an instant, whereas that is not an options with real pets because real life require equally real sacrifices.

It’s been years since a highly addicting pet like the Tamagotchi have come out. And with mobile phones becoming as powerful as some of the earlier computers, it is probably just a matter of time before another strange fad hits the world.