Taiwanese Chicken Out

A city official sees a Japanese import threatening Taiwan’s schoolchildren: a hand-held electronic pet chicken.

The popular toys are disrupting the activities and discipline of children around the island, Taipei city councilor Chen Yung-teh said in Friday’s China Times.

The toy, known as the Tamagotch, or “cute little egg,” is a key-chain computer game about the size and shape of an egg. On the display screen, an egg hatches and a chicken is born as the game begins. The owner then uses three tiny buttons to feed, play with, clean up after and discipline it. The chick chirps every few minutes to demand food or attention. Unless taken care of properly, the chick will die, electronically.

Chen said school officials must take action against the devices, which began to turn up in Taiwan this year and are hugely popular with children.

“We’ve got to prevent these toys taking over the kids’ lives,” Chen said.