00:04Have you ever wondered what happens when a digital pet becomes more addictive than a real one?
00:10Because when the Tamagotchi first hit the world, millions of people, especially kids, couldn't stop caring for it, even at
00:18the worst possible times.
00:20It all started on November 23, 1996, when a new handheld toy appeared with a simple concept, an egg-shaped
00:29device you could carry like a keychain and care for using just a few buttons.
00:33The name even comes from Japanese, Tamago, meaning, egg. And the reaction was instant. In under 3 years, it sold
00:43around 40 million units worldwide, and over the course of 15 years, it captured the attention of about 78 million
00:51people.
00:51Since that original launch, more than 35 versions have been released globally, turning one little gadget into a full-on
00:59franchise.
01:00But the story isn't all cute. When it first became popular, some psychologists warned that it could contribute to serious
01:08issues like anxiety, sleep problems, and even reduce social interaction in children.
01:14And in Japan, where it became especially huge, it allegedly caused real-world chaos, including people neglecting work and, in
01:22some cases, traffic accidents when drivers tried to manage their virtual pet on the go.
01:28To cope with that obsession, Japan even saw creative, and wild, responses, daycare-like services where someone would feed and
01:36care for their chicks, during work hours, and websites that functioned like, virtual cemeteries, for pets that had died in
01:44game.
01:46So here's the real question. When a toy demands constant attention, is it harmless fun, or does it...
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