Early this morning I found myself on the Breakfast Show on BBC Radio Solent talking about “virtual pets”. They’ve come a long way since those early Tamagotchis! They had asked me to take part as I am an Internet Psychologist and they wanted the low down on the psychological implications of having virtual pets instead of real ones. I think they were a bit surprised when I pointed out the massive benefits of virtual pets and why children and the elderly should have them. The manufacturers and web site owners of online pets are missing a real trick; they are targeting young children, girls, for the most part. Yet, there is a huge untapped audience of people over 65 who would really benefit and warm to online and virtual pets of all kinds.
Internet future will see us untied from its shackles
Futurists have been telling us for ages that we are going to live in an increasingly connected world. Only last week Marks and Spencer launched the iPod suit, where the jacket comes pre-wired with all