Homelessness – There’s An App For That

Tamagotchis never really carried any guilt, did they? You could let them die, and just hit reset. No biggie, right? iHobo is about to make you feel like utter crap for all the virtual pets you never saved, and then some.

iHobo (yes, that’s its real name) is a free charity iPhone app that leaves you in charge of a virtual homeless person, but believe it or not, the app is not in bad taste – rather, it’s meant to call attention to the issue of homelessness at large. Well, actually, in the UK specifically, but the message is universal.

iHobo takes up residence in your iPhone for three days, and it’s up to you to give him what he needs to survive. Miss too many alerts, and iHobo could have a drug overdose, freeze to death, or starve, at which point the app guilt trips the hell out of you. But succeed or fail, at the conclusion of your 72 hours with iHobo, the app gives you an opportunity to donate to Depaul UK, a youth homelessness charity. Depaul’s aim is to get a younger demographic’s attention, as most of its current donors are seniors.

Here’s a promotional video for the app. The Matrix fight scene music is kind of unnecessary, but the message is still clear.

[Via The Next Web]