It’s Time to Dream of Electric Sheep

Cover Image from Neopets.com

Pets are being replaced by their digital alternatives again, and that’s actually a good thing. 

At some point between 2000 and 2026, Gen Z have grown up to find themselves renting thousand dollar flats with No Pets Allowed, or struggling to afford a tiny apartment without the room for pets, anyway. While some of us dream of stability, wealth, and backyards – most of us are trying not to think about the expense of our tiny little rentals.

Amid this cost-of-living crisis, people are searching for cheap entertainment and cheaper company. We don’t have the time or money for a fluffy little dependent – we barely have the time and money for a regular trip to the shops.

Though it would be nice to own a creature that rewards us with its unconditional love, those real-life pets are full of tummies that need to be fed daily, fur that needs to be groomed weekly, and diseases that need to be vaccinated against. And they don’t even pay board!

The real solution is the Virtual Pet. 

The Tamagotchi and Neopet may not solve all of our problems, but they do give us something to care for, play with, and connect to – without the expense of a vet bill or a backyard. 

Be it a Neoparent or TamaMama (as JENtendo calls herself), the love and care shared between a virtual pet and its owner is just as sacred as that of real pets and their pawrents.

Big Tech demands our attention be tied to our phones, but Tamagotchi sales have skyrocketed and the newest releases are appearing as locally as Australian Kmart stores. In a world of endless digital subscriptions, these devices offer us something to have and to hold.

The analog bag may have been a passing trend, but its ideology is here to stay. We want to take back control of our lives and that starts with taking back control of our pocket.

We don’t need “real” pets, and we don’t need “smart” devices; we need a Mametchi in our pocket and an Aisha in our browser. No backyard and no subscription required.

“Becoming virtual pet owners might just give us back the sense of ownership we’re losing.”

– Nate Kan, 2022.