This is Scientific Americans 60 Second Science. I'm Larry Greenmeyer. Got a minute?

The advent of smartphone, social media, and other technologies have altered the way people interact with each other. Just watch a group

of people out for a meal together, all in their phones texting people who aren't

there. Technology may also be poised to change the way we relate to animals by removing the living breathing

ones from our homes. The main threat to pets is not social media per se, but rather robots

rough and virtual farm-ville-like animals.

These inanimate objects of our affection are certainly easier to care for than the real ones,

and they still might someday meet their owner's needs for companionship, love, obedience, and dependence.

That's according to University of Melbourne Animal Behavior Research or Jean-loop Route route,

writing in the Journal Frontiers in Veterinary Science.

The infiltration of fake pets is already happening to a small degree.

In Japan, some owners of Sony's Eibow robotic dog even hold funerals when their devices are beyond repair. Our concept of a pet

gets shaped at an early age. Previous generations born and bred with cats and dogs

might dismiss robo-pets as mere toys.

But children of the digital age, raised on touch screens

and online games, might see things differently.

One can imagine a future fake dog owner breathlessly asking his vet technician is phytodeed or is it just his battery

Thanks for the minute for scientific American 60 Second Science, I'm Larry Greenmeyer.

Rough, rough, rough, rough, rough.