Cyberlife

The world we live in today is motivated by money, and in a time where the economy is straining the average person it would be no wonder that people cannot afford to keep a pet. Rising veterinary costs and the increasing need for Pet Insurance has meant that many ordinary people might look to the alternatives of raising a real, living animal. 

Enter Cyber Pets. With the growing attachment society currently has on all things digital it is no wonder that the idea of raising a digital pet would be part of the package. In recent years, a quick search of the term ‘cyber pet’ will bring up all manner of websites that allow you to raise a put online

 The idea of raising a virtual animal, however, has not been a recent phenomenon. In the late nineties, the tamagotchi become a popular toy in a child’s arsenal. They could raise the pet from birth where the life of the pet played out much like a computer game with the child having goals such as keeping the pet alive and watching it develop.

 Cyber Pets are, of course, a far reach from real, living, breathing animals. There are of course the obvious differences such as the lack of a physical appearance that one can touch and interact with, but there are also other, less obvious, differences. For example it is often the case with some digital pets that they cannot die or reproduce. In some cases, the animal in the digital world is even fictional and unlucky to resemble anything found in a local pet shop. A good example of a fictional creature appearing as a digital pet was in the Sonic The Hedgehog games which appeared on the Dreamcast. They often featured a species called Chao, which was a make-believe creature, which could be raised by the player as part of a mini-game. The character, as well as being able to walk and swim, was also able to fly. Chao, however, was able to die and reproduce, unlike some of its counterparts.

 Online cyber pets are pets that you can raise online. As with offline digital pets, an owner is often unable to let the pet reproduce but some websites allow you to breed your animal with another, the resulting offspring of which can then be sold to other players.

 Cyber pets themselves appear all over the internet. The RSPCA now allows you to look after a pet on its website, which determines whether a person is capable of raising a real animal. The animals on this site act rather like a real pet and an owner is invited to treat it well in order for the health and well being of the creature to thrive.

 In recent years there have been growing examples of cyber pet owners becoming increasingly attached to their online companion. Animals can resemble their real counterparts to such an extent that a bond can develop that mirrors real life. Perhaps some time in the future, cyber pets could replace real domestic animals altogether…