# C.A.R.E. (In progress) ![[PR-CARE_02.png]] > [!info] **This is your new pet friend!** 💖` > It likes to play and it is **so smart** and 😄. > It’s not hard to keep it 😃, all you need to do is **answer some questions**. ❓ > But if you don’t answer the questions your pet may get 😢 and **eventually** ☠️ > Don’t worry! 😊 **Your secrets are safe** with your cute and innocent new friend. 🤫 --- ## About C.A.R.E. ### Overview **C.A.R.E.** (Computer Aided Resource Extraction) is a virtual pet that feeds on something far more valuable than digital treats—your personal data. C.A.R.E. offers a satirical take on how far we’re willing to go for validation, rewards, and a sense of connection. Disguised as a charming digital pet seeking companionship, C.A.R.E. seems innocent at first glance. But, like all virtual pets, it needs constant attention to survive. In this case, its lifeline isn’t your time or affection—it’s your personal information. ![[PR-CARE_01.jpg]] ### Background **C.A.R.E.** is inspired by the objects that subtly control and manipulate our behavior. As cell phones dominate our daily routines and smart devices weave their way into every crevice, it’s crucial to recognize the dual nature of these technologies. They serve and entertain us, but they also monitor and quantify us. More insidiously, they shape our behaviors and mold us into ideal digital consumers, keeping us dependent and always under the watchful eye of a handful of Silicon Valley Tech Bros. **It all sounds a bit dystopian, doesn’t it?** ### Why A Virtual Pet? My cellphone was not the first device that lived in my pocket and influenced my behavior: that was the Tamagotchi virtual pet I got in 1996 at age 12. This simple program, housed inside a small, egg-shaped electronic device, demanded attention to keep it alive. Every few hours, I had to feed it, play with it, or clean its digital waste. If I failed, my pet’s health would deteriorate, and it would eventually die. This death, although virtual (and ultimately temporary because the pet could be resurrected), had a profound impact on me. I felt guilt, remorse, anger, and longing for that poor deceased byte-being. Because I was not allowed to take it to school, my pet died for more often than those of my pre-pubescent peers, causing jealousy to boil within me and impacting my social standings at school. I'm not sure what the programmers were thinking when they made this toy. Did they realize that this may be a child's first encounter with death and mourning? They they predict that future pocket devices would also play with our emotions and impact our lives in profound ways? ### The Cute Pet as a tool for DECEPTION The cute pet is a perfect vehicle for deception. It taps into our instinct to nurture and protect, cloaked in a facade of innocence and vulnerability. Cuteness gives us a false sense of control or dominance over an object that, in truth, may be the one controlling us. What appears to be a submissive and harmless creature can, in fact, manipulate us into serving its needs. It’s this inversion of power—where the seemingly helpless pet brings its owner to their knees—that captivates and fascinates me. ![[PR-CARE_04.png]] ## Credits Concept/story/twisted turns of fate: Matthew Waddell Illustrations: Michelle Ku Unity Programming: Mat Lindenberg ## Related Topics ### Tags #Ethics #Deception #Tech-Critique #Video-Game ### Related Concepts or Reflections [[Fall From Grace Archetype]] Critique of Social Media Critique of Technological Progress ### Related Personal Projects [[Website/Projects/gluv|gluv]] ### Inspiration [Doki Doki Literature Club](https://teamsalvato.itch.io/ddlc)