The craze sweeping the world is a cautionary tale for us
In 2025 this materialistic quest for toys is manifest in the global phenomenon of Labubu, the current must-have toy. It’s an ordinary, creepy-in-a-sort-of-cute-way, plush toy suitable for toddlers but also aimed at adults. Labubu is manufactured by a multibillion-dollar company that has profited from human nature: our desire to have “stuff,” to belong, to receive attention, and to find distraction from our pain and problems.
Yes, a little stuffed doll can do all that.
Millions of people from all around the world now own a collection of Labubus in the hopes of attaining social status, acceptance, emotional relief, and joy. People are standing in line for ten or more hours, waiting to purchase their next Labubu. Competition for the product has led to physical violence, to the point where some stores have stopped carrying Labubus for fear of altercations in the aisles. In China, people are risking imprisonment for attempting to smuggle the toys out of the country.
Originally selling for around $20, these little critters now go for several hundred dollars and even up to thousands of dollars each (and you apparently need lots of them). Clothes and accessories are available for purchase as well, ensuring that adult men and women can stay fully occupied and obsessed as they purchase, arrange, and display their collections of Labubus.
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