Instagram’s new virtual pet features are now being rolled out to some users, which enables you to capture photos with your digital companion in the app.
As you can see in these examples, posted by app researcher Jonah Manzano, some users are now being prompted to “Adopt a new best friend” for your Meta avatar, which you can show off on both IG and in Meta’s VR Horizon experience.
Through this process, you can create your own, custom virtual pet, with options to select the animal, color, fur patterns, etc.
You can then engage with your virtual pet in VR, or take photos for your IG Stories.
So it’s like Pokemon Go, but with virtual pets, or like Snapchat’s virtual pets, which are available to Snapchat+ subscribers.
Instagram’s been working on variations of this for some time, with app researcher Alexandro Paluzzi noting various digital pet options over the past year.
Those are slightly different, in that they seem to be more like Tamagotchi-inspired creatures that require maintenance and engagement. This version seems more ornamental, and given the popularity of pets on the internet more broadly, it makes some sense that IG would be interested in trying these out, and seeing if users want to create their own avatar pets for use in its applications.
Though it feels a little too disingenuous for me. Like, why is Meta so keen to help you replace your real life with these virtual options, supplementing actual human experiences with digital variations, as a means to build connection with non-real entities?
I mean, I know why, because the more Meta can get you glued to its apps, the better it is for the company, and adding in virtual pets could be another element to enhance the stickiness of its apps. I get that, but it seems risky to be pushing people to build all new lives and experiences in non-real environments.
Maybe that’s beneficial in some ways too, but I just feel like we don’t have enough data on the potential impacts of such to understand whether it’s a good or bad idea to encourage reliance on digital entities.
But then again, maybe I’m just looking into it too much, and maybe these virtual pets are just a fun thing to add to your avatar selfies.
Just don’t get too attached.
I’ve asked Meta for more information on the roll out of its virtual pets, and will update if/when I hear back.
