Inside the bizarre world of adopting virtual Sims children on Instagram

PEOPLE can now virtually adopt digital Sims children via Instagram.

Just when we thought the internet couldn’t get stranger, now people can adopt virtual Sims 4 characters with traumatic backstories.

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This can be done via several Instagram accounts that are doubling as “adoption agencies”.

One such account is @bee_adoptions, which is growing in popularity – by its niche field’s standards, that is.

As of today, the Instagram account boasts more than 600 followers and plenty of virtual children for Simmers to adopt.

Journalist Gita Jackson recently detailed her experience with the agency for Vice.

“Out of all the babies and children posted to various Instagram accounts I’ve tried to adopt this week, I think I like Audra from Bee Adoptions best,” Jackson wrote.

Although, if the characters on Bee Adoptions’ page don’t call out to you, there are plenty of other agencies to choose from, like Loving Hand Adoptions and Forest Fern Adoptions.

A disturbing similarity between all of the agencies, however, is that all of the children have traumatic backstories.

For example, Jackson’s adopted Sims child Audra is not just a virtual 6-year-old with an allergy to dairy and asthma.

“She also has a background full of ironic tragedy. You see, Audra was raised in a loving family by god-fearing people until relatively recently when her entire family was hit by a semi-truck on the way back from a church function,” Jackson said.

Other common backgrounds include Sims kids who were neglected or abused by their parents, while others were abandoned.

In one instance, a Sims child is the sole survivor of a triple homicide that took the lives of her parents and sister.

If backstories like this tug at your heartstrings, then you too can be the proud parent of a Sims kid, however, you do need to apply.

The application process loosely mimics that of real life, asking for information like your Sims age, profession, and details surrounding the household.

“One application I filled out asked if any of the Sims in that household had a criminal history,” Jackson said.

“But more often, they are another space for Simmers to use the game to tell stories—essentially, you’re being asked to plead your case, and prove to the agency that you’re the best person to raise this Sim child.”

Oceanne, who runs Loving Hand Adoptions, said that she is trying to promote awareness of children waiting to be adopted.

“I have always seen adoption reflected on television and other media as one of the best means to expand a family,” she said.

“Because the parents of those children in the system failed them and they need to know that someone else can love them.”

The Sims gained popularity in the early 2000s as a computer game that lets you simulate real life.