The virtual pet Tamagocchi (which means electronic chicken) was hatched in Japan in October of last year, and the fad for it has quickly spread from the Land of the Rising Sun. Though it hit the stores here in Taiwan only a little over a month ago, this electric gizmo that easily fits in the palm of your hand has already hooked all kinds of people-from kids in kindergarten, to college students, office workers and even singing stars.

Popular questions on Taiwan campuses these days: "Can I play with your chick for a while?" "How big is yours?" And then, a few moments later, a startled, "What are those kids doing?"

No need to fear, these "new, new youth" aren't indulging in free love. Rather they are playing with Tamagocchis, electronic chickens that have become the new "pet" of choice.

The Tamagocchi was invented by a Japanese office lady. Nothing is startling about its appearance. Made from plastic, it looks like a large pocket watch. There is a small screen in its middle, on which images reveal a chick's physical condition. The owner affects that condition-and thus changes the images-by pressing on function keys.

It is estimated that this small toy, which was test marketed in Japan as recently as October of last year, has already sold more than 10 million units in Taiwan, Hong Kong and mainland China, where it is tremendously popular with teenagers, and where pirated versions made in Taiwan and on the mainland compete with the real thing from Japan. The manufacturers have also come out with an English version to market in America, and are now testing a spin-off from the chicken egg-the dinosaur egg. The possibilities are endless.

At first Tamagocchis sold for NT$600 or NT$700 at the Kuanghua Shopping Center, but now they go for twice that. Hawkers wander about that shopping center, the Taipei Train Station, night markets, and other places where crowds gather, clutching a sack with one hand and holding up one of the virtual pets with the other. People in that branch of sales say that profit margins for fake Tamagocchis are even higher than those for pirated software. Word is that organized crime is planning to get involved.

The "new new youth" who raise these electronic chickens aren't concerned with the ugliness involved in their sale, and want to offer their virtual pets something entirely different: unreserved tenderness and love.

Tamagocchis attract people because they require their masters to be attentive to their demands, which resemble those of a biological pet. Tamagocchis need to eat, sleep and play, and most of all they need their masters' patience and concern. Their physical and psychological needs must be met at regular times. If inconsiderate masters forget to feed their pets, lull them to sleep or clean up after they defecate, they can become ill tempered, die or even turn into snakes.

In order to raise well-behaved and compliant pets, students bring them to class and office workers take them to their jobs. When a Tamagocchi cries out, it merits immediate attention-no matter if its owner is walking on the street, driving a car, eating or sleeping. Otherwise, who knows what terrible things might transpire?

The pets do more than merely deprive their masters of peaceful sleep and meals. To care for them properly their masters must take them everywhere, causing classroom disruptions and traffic accidents. In Japan owners have even been known to attempt suicide when their Tamagocchis die.

Some people fear that these toys have already affected students' school work and values, and argue that schools should ban them.

Chen Chia-hsiou, the chair of the social education department at National Taipei Teachers College, worries that because these pets' lives are fictional and can be destroyed with no consequences, youngsters may lose their sense of the sanctity of real life.

Proponents of calm argue that fads last but an instant and that banning something only draws kids to it.

When Wu Ching, the minister of education who is nicknamed "King of the Bright Idea," was questioned about these toys by legislators, he lived up to his name by suggesting that the manufacturer could alter the toys so they wouldn't peep up during class or that schools could open virtual-chick-care centers to take care of Tamagocchis while their masters are in class.

In an op-ed piece, a teacher suggested an even more "creative" solution. He urged manufacturers to expand upon the Tamagocchi concept and create electronic frogs, silkworms and so forth, which could make up for the shortage of real animal specimens that plagues modern-day biology classes.

Let's not discuss whether such suggestions are absurd. The popularity of these toys points to real problems. When families live in apartments and both parents work, they don't let children raise animal pets, for lack of time and space. With no open space to play outdoors, children can't see seeds sprouting and the seasons change. When the environment all around them is inorganic, people yearn to care for life. This is something worth thinking about.

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The Kuanghua Shopping Center has always been a leader in electronics retailing. Shops there quickly picked up on the fad for "virtual pet chickens," and it is hard to keep these toys-even the latest spin-offs like electronic cats-in stock. (photo by Pu Hua-chih)