Virtual pets leading to decline in real pets: study

Columbus (OH) - Games like Nintendogs, Catz, and The Sims, wherein players can take care of a virtual pet, is leading to a decline in ownership of real pets, according to the response from a new study.

The survey, commissioned by the Australian Companion Animals Council, showed that pet ownership in the "down under" country has fallen nearly 30% over the past seven years.

"These days children interact more by playing computer games and less by going out there and throwing the ball to a dog. We need to learn people skills, physical skills, and sitting in the lounge room with a computer doesn't teach you that," said Seksel.

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Mark Raby
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Mark Raby is a freelance writer for Tom's Hardware, covering a wide range of topics, from video game reviews to detailed analyses of computer processors.