China's Stress-Relief Doll 'Natasha' Banned in Schools Amid Violence and Racism Controversy

(Central News Agency, reporter Zhang Shuling, Taipei, 7th) The stress-relief doll 'Natasha,' which has recently exploded in popularity in China, is drawing concern for becoming a tool for violent宣泄, affecting children's physical and mental health, and even sparking racial discrimination controversies. According to reports, multiple primary and secondary schools across the country have listed 'Natasha' as a banned toy on campus.

This 'squeeze toy' is designed in the shape of a baby. In short videos widely circulated on Chinese social media platforms like Douyin (TikTok China) and Xiaohongshu (RED), users are seen engaging in destructive behaviors such as throwing, hitting, injecting water, stomping on, and piercing the doll with needles.

According to reports from China News Service and other media, parents and teachers are concerned that the violent玩法 of 'Natasha' may encourage violent tendencies in children, potentially leading to bullying among classmates.

The China Youth Daily reported that as of now, multiple primary and secondary schools have successively issued notices listing 'Natasha' as a banned toy on campus. On the 6th, several e-commerce platforms removed related promotional short videos that marketed violence, but some merchants still use fist images and violence-oriented copy in their product promotions for 'Natasha.'

Sun Hongyan, a researcher at the China Youth and Children Research Center, stated that the infant form amplifies the negative impact of violent behavior. She noted that merchants promoting 'the harder you throw, the more stress you relieve' and short-video platforms pushing 'the more brutally you destroy it, the more likes you get' could lead some minors to mistakenly believe that 'bullying the weak is acceptable,' gradually blurring their understanding of moral boundaries.

The controversy surrounding this toy has also spread overseas. Some overseas Black bloggers and netizens argue that this content is not just ordinary toy mischief but involves turning a body resembling a Black baby into an object for attack, humiliation, and entertainment consumption, carrying clear anti-Black racist symbolism.

After the Beijing News reported on the controversy of this toy, the State Administration for Market Regulation stated on the 5th that it held an administrative guidance meeting with major e-commerce platforms regarding stress-relief toys sold on these platforms. It urged e-commerce platforms to fulfill their main responsibilities, strengthen the qualification review of merchants operating on their platforms, and enhance the investigation and control of problematic products. Additionally, it organized publicity and education activities, released consumer tips for children's products, and guided consumers to scientifically select and safely use related products. (Editor: Chen Kaiyu) 1150607