One particular toy, the Tamagotchi, is analyzed as a cultural artifact which incorporates the latest in computer and video technology and virtually engages players in the most basic of nurturing relationships. Here one day, and gone the next, the Tamagotchi is seen as a symbol of its times in which even the most intense connections are disposable. The essay examines how this object relates to popular culture and to other children's playthings in particular, and what it signifies in terms of relationships, gender identity, and existential predicaments. As a consequence, it raises a number of questions concerning the role that these and similar toys perform in the socialization of children and of society in general.
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