Yes, it is sad to think about any senior citizen around the world being lonely and in need of companionship, but it is a fact of life for many elderly people today. Regardless of what we blame it on, modern medicine and technological innovations are allowing older people to live longer, according to Digital Trends.
The Administration on Aging (AOA) reports that in 2014, the last year for which statistics are available, there were 46.2 million people in the U.S. 65-years of age or older, representing 14.5 percent of the population. By 2040, people 65 and older will represent over 21 percent of the population in the U.S.
But it is the quality of their lives, in many cases, that Hasbro has been focusing on. Over 13 million seniors in the U.S. live alone, most of them women. Surprisingly, only about 1,5 million seniors live in nursing homes or assisted living facilities, according to the Census Bureau.
Living alone can become a hardship when seniors find themselves living in a society that is ill-equipped to provide them with the physical and emotional attention all humans need and crave at times. This is why Hasbro’s line of robotic pets was launched.
As Digital Journal pointed out in a November 2015 story on Hasbro’s robotic cat, a robotic pet is nothing more than an artificially intelligent machine made to look like a companion animal, or pet. The most common of these artificial pets include dogs, cats, rabbits, and birds, but surprisingly, many people do treat them like real animals.
The Joy For All golden retriever
This writer really thinks the Hasbro golden retriever is cute-as-a-button. Being a dog person all my life, the one thing I miss most is having a dog for a companion. Even though I live alone, I would be unable to care for a real, live pet, but the little robotic puppy is sure cute.
One nice thing about a robotic pet is there is no potty training because they don’t pee, and the puppy won’t require feeding, either. As far as barking or trying to bite the mailman or occasional visitor, you would be safe there, too. The puppy will respond to your voice, turning its head to look at you while making cute little puppy sounds.
When you pick your pet up and hold him close to stroke his fur, you can actually hear his little heartbeat, but Gizmodo warns that this could be risky because you might not want to put him down. And do I need to mention that allergy sufferers won’t have to worry about taking antihistamines?
The plush robotic pooches will be available this fall for $120, far less than the cost of a real golden retriever, but far more than a stuffed toy that will probably sit on the couch gathering dust. Besides, that senior citizen in your family just might really enjoy this toy.
