Why have
Plush Toys become a mental bunker for young people? And can they really help the younger generation escape from the pain of their times? And are they really therapeutic, in a practical sense, as they are touted as soothing dolls?
Most people agree that there is magic in them.
So argues psychologist Donald Winnicott, who calls
Stuffed Animals 'transitional objects' and sees them as important members of a child's growing family.
And, as children grow up their dependence on stuffed animals does not diminish, but, on the contrary, grows stronger. And studies have also shown that the connection between this group and soothing toys can help these people adapt better to life even after they have grown up.
It is also true that on social media, there are people who constantly share stories about their relationship with soothing toys, and among them, there are those who still love the toys at their bedside even if they are very worn out and even stitched many times. There are also people who travel across the miles with their beloved stuffed animals, or else they lose sleep at night.
Most of the doll tinkerers who have been featured in the media in recent years have also made a living out of it.
Dr. Clove has also mentioned that snuggling with pets, stuffed animals, and a thick blanket can restore calm, slow the heart rate, and lower stress hormones.
But does the magic stop there?
The younger generation may not see it that way; to them, healing is concrete, and so is companionship.
Others will place three stuffed animals in front of a window, follow their viewpoint and ask "What are the three children looking at while lying on their backs?" In the next screen, they happily post a reply, "The kindergarten downstairs is in session, look at all the kids playing!
In fact, the contemporary anthropomorphization of stuffed animals is not a new culture, except that more and more people have started to join in and become accustomed to it in the growing growth of the Internet.
A few years back, a study related to Gen Z mentioned that 'persona' culture is becoming the core of virtual socialization for the younger generation. Initially, they were keen on the play of virtual personas, and were big fans of the language C and pia plays, and now, this projection has evolved from the virtual to the real, gradually evolving into a richer form.
In addition, the book "The New Age of Consumption" has also pointed out that "as the smallest unit of human society gradually changes from the family to the individual, all people have to set unique labels for themselves, and advertisements that rely solely on pan-audience groups can no longer impress any individual. Consumers only care about whether a brand can help them personalize themselves with expressions they identify with."
Have you noticed, from the Star Delloux and Ling Na Beier, which have been snatched up by millions of people, to the cotton dolls coming out from the rice circle, and then to the bunnies sheep and jellycut, which are hotly popular in Xiaohongshu, these plush dolls with different backgrounds and coming from different brands, in fact, have very similar labels in social media, and they have been uniformly categorized as "adult fairy tales", which are also the spiritual friends that can bring solace and dissipate loneliness. Spiritual friends.
And this, in a way, is inextricably linked to the companionship economy often mentioned in the financial media over the past two years.
At a time when anxiety has become the color of the times, the younger generation is immersed in the flattening, fragmentation and non-presence of social interaction, which also leads to the need for them to withdraw from high-pressure environments, and the companionship economy, which can alleviate the sense of loneliness, is undoubtedly a windy industry among the many industry segments.
As a result, today, plush dolls are highly desired by the lonely generation and given a heavy responsibility by commercial brands.
Shenzhen Yida Toys Co. , Ltd.