From glittering iridescent orbs to perfectly shaped cubes that squish and bend in all different directions, NeeDoh stress balls have made a resurgence, dominating classrooms and TikTok feeds all across the country.
As NeeDohs grow in popularity, they have become increasingly difficult to find. Within this stress ball trend, the term ‘Needoh hunting,’ has become popular. This is the practice of going from store to store to find certain NeeDoh styles and variations, as oftentimes they are sold out.
For sophomore Ava Kim, ‘NeeDoh Hunting’ has helped her develop a sense of unity in her family, by becoming a bonding experience for her and her brothers. Beyond the tangible fidget toy, the journey holds significance for many.
“I was actually disappointed because it was always overhyped, and the fun part actually was the hunt, like always looking for it. I would do it with my brothers all the time. After school, I would go out and find them and then I would ask my friends where they got theirs,” Kim said.
Although the hunt is the most exciting part, Kim also has developed an emotional connection to her NeeDoh.
“It sits right next to my bed because I really like it. I’ve got two NeeDohs, they’re both DreamDrops, and one of them’s purple, one of them’s pink, it’s just so slow rising,” Kim said.
NeeDohs have a stress releasing effect beyond the bright colors and styles. Social worker Antonia Stamatukos shares the science behind why NeeDohs are such lovable stress toys.
“I think it’s a good way to kind of get out some of that bodily stress, to squeeze something. It kind of does the action of progressive muscle relaxation, which is like tensing your muscles and then letting go of them. So I think that people might not realize that that’s what they’re doing when they’re playing with a NeeDoh, especially if you’re just squeezing it,” Stamatukos said.
Kim sees NeeDohs as a physical release first hand, using it to manage her emotions.
As all trends come and go, NeeDohs have started to slowly fade out of the social stratosphere after serving their term as a fun fidget.
“They were trendy a while back, but I think trends come and go and I think this needle phase is slowly dying down,” Kim said.
In the meantime, what will be the next trend to empty shelves at the local Target?
