Is Labubu Craze the New (Unhealthy) Obsession?

By Ong Yi Xue, Heartscape Psychology Intern

Many of us, especially those who regularly surf the internet would know that there is now yet another new collection trend, called “Labubu dolls”. These Labubu dolls are known for their Kawaii and childlike appearance, consisting of features like wide-eyed, round faces, and holding different facial expressions. They could also be dressed up in different outfits and accessories to elevate their cutesy looks. In fact, this Labubu trend started when one of the members of the Korean Idol Group BlackPink, Lisa, posted a picture of her holding a Labubu doll. As the doll looked so cute with Lisa, many individuals around the world started to pick up the trend of getting Labubu dolls as they got emotionally attached to the cuteness overload of the dolls. 

(TMI; Even my brother, a 30-year-old working adult, is crazily in love with collecting different kinds of Labubu dolls at home with his wife!)

Yes, Labubu dolls can look cute, quirky, gorgeous, and kawaii but… ever wondered what changes could and has the dolls made to our mental health? And what if… What if collecting Labubu dolls has become an unhealthy obsession? 

Well, let’s first talk about the positive and negative effects of Labubu dolls on our mental health. 

Positive Effects (Ignacio & Cupchik, 2021): 

• Feel Good Hormones: Seeing such cutesy dolls could release hormones like dopamine and serotonin into our bodies, allowing us to feel greater pleasure and joy. Being attached to Labubu and dolling them up could also evoke a sense of attachment, releasing oxytocin, which is also called “love hormones!” 

• Stress Reliever: You know how some people would feel like it’s a form of therapy seeing cute animals? It’s similar for Labubu dolls as well, as interacting with Labubu dolls could potentially relieve stress and even evoke a sense of calmness in us.

• A Sense of Community: Like any other interests, people with shared interests towards Labubu dolls could build a community where they form a network of support, belonging, and inclusiveness beyond physical proximity – boosting one’s social well-being 

Negative Effects: 

• Increased Consumptive Behaviours: Due to the commercialization of Labubu products, we may start to feel FOMO (fear of missing out) and be pressured to buy more variety of Labubu dolls as we may find our current collection “inadequate” or “dissatisfactory” (Pham et al., 2023). 

• Escapism: Being involved with Labubu dolls could be the new coping mechanism for some, as a way to numb and withdraw from real-life issues. Excessively doing so could delay the process of addressing piled-up issues and emotions (Ignacio & Cupchik, 2021). 

• Unrealistic Expectations: Dolling up Labubu dolls could result in an idealized perspective of how people should be dressed and behave to remain “cutesy”, potentially causing body image, self-esteem, or relationship issues (Nesbitt et al., 2019). 

Most importantly, being excessively immersed in Labubu dolls and related social media content could manifest into traits of obsession, especially when it starts to (Kohler et al., 2018): 

• Replace our day-to-day interactions with others

• Replace other social media content

• Affect our attention span and sleep 

• Neglect our responsibilities and focus on building up Labubu dolls

• Evoke the need to have the dolls by our side to continue daily functioning

Over time, being stuck in the loop of Labubu dolls may result in compulsive online engagement and purchasing where we constantly depend on finding new Labubu content and variety, alongside increased anxiety in keeping up with the latest versions of Labubu dolls. 

Now, how do you manage if you find that Labubu dolls may be starting to affect your mental health? 

• Self-awareness: Reflect and recognize the amount of time, energy, and finance spent on Labubu content and dolls. Ask yourself, “How has this been affecting me as an individual and the other parts of my life?” (McLaren et al., 2023)

• What-if Scenarios: Imagine if there were no more Labubu dolls in your life the next day, how would you react? Would you still be able to function in your day-to-day activities? 

• Setting Boundaries: With the above considerations in mind, attempt to intentionally set aside time for you to focus on fulfilling your responsibilities, have physical interactions, and engage in other interests. 

• Seeking Support: Speak to a mental health professional if you feel that it is still hard to manage the possible obsession or if it has been severely affecting your daily functioning (McLaren et al., 2023).  

While hopping onto the Labubu craze is not always harmful and could be all cutesy and fun, being excessively involved in it could lead to obsession and affect our daily functioning. Hence, it is vital to balance the joy and comfort of the company that Labubu provides while ensuring that our well-being is still taken care of.

References 

Ignacio, A., & Cupchik, G. C. (2021). Therapeutic Benefits of Adult Doll Play. Imagination, Cognition and Personality, 41(1), 5–30. https://doi.org/10.1177/0276236621989227

Kohler, K. C., Coetzee, B. J., & Lochner, C. (2018). Living with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): a South African narrative. International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 12, Article 73. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13033-018-0253-8

McLaren, T., Peter, L.-J., Tomczyk, S., Muehlan, H., Schomerus, G., & Schmidt, S. (2023). The seeking mental health care model: Prediction of help-seeking for depressive symptoms by stigma and mental illness representations. BMC Public Health, 23, Article 69. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-14937-5

Nesbitt, A., Sabiston, C. M., deJonge, M., Solomon-Krakus, S., & Welsh, T. N. (2019). Barbie’s new look: Exploring cognitive body representation among female children and adolescents. PLOS ONE, 14(6), Article e0218315. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0218315

Pham, T. T., Nguyễn, T. G. H., & Dao, T. K. L. (2023). The impact of the fear of missing out on purchasing trendy fashion products among young consumers on social media platforms. International Journal of Advanced Multidisciplinary Research and Studies, 3(5), 1240–1249.