The Tamagotchi debuted on the Japanese market in late 1996, and it needed less than twelve months to conquer the entire world. The fact that each Tamagotchi responded to its owner's actions opened a new era for the concept of technological dependence, and it even received its own name under the "Tamagotchi Effect". Today this effect has expanded to other developments such as robots and virtual assistants, and despite its changes over time, it is very far from disappearing...
The first Tamagotchis "died" if their owners did not care for them for half a day (or less). Hunger, happiness, hygiene and discipline were some of the factors that had to be monitored closely, but that was barely the tip of the iceberg.
The Tamagotchi is a device that is born, grows, learns and dies (or goes away, depending on the edition). These four points placed it in a completely different category, and it fulfilled a dream that children have had for thousands of years: seeing their toys come to life.
However, this also brought a new series of problems. On one hand, the constant attention made many children take their Tamagotchis to schools, triggering all kinds of conflicts and prohibitions. And on the other... there's the "Tamagotchi Effect".
The Tamagotchi Effect: Love for the Machine
The Tamagotchi Effect describes a deep attachment to these virtual pets and other similar products, such as Furby robots, Cabbage Patch Kids dolls, and digital avatars.
The attachment becomes dependence, and ends up replacing certain aspects of social life, or covering emotional voids. A key piece behind that attachment lies in the feedback users receive.
It is much more likely that the effect manifests in developments that respond to their owners' actions, which in turn reinforces the sense of responsibility.
The "loss" of a Tamagotchi has been particularly hard for some users, to such an extent that "Tamagotchi cemeteries" were created, virtual and real, around the world.
Experts still debate the positive and negative details of the Tamagotchi Effect, while the industry in general has recognized its importance. Optimizing the "social capacity" of robots and avatars is a priority, especially when there is more and more talk of using robots in the near future to assist elderly people.
