Why Millennials And Gen Z Are Sucking On Pacifiers
Lately, it feels like self-care has become a choose-your-own-adventure. For some, lavender bubble baths and weighted blankets will do the trick.
For others, it’s an overpriced smoothie that promises to fix your gut and your aura. And now? Pacifiers have entered the chat. Yes, actual, honest-to-goodness baby pacifiers… just bigger.
In China, the trend has already exploded. Online marketplaces like Taobao and JD.com are selling thousands of them every month, in every style you can imagine; from plain silicone to bedazzled, rhinestone-encrusted “bling” versions.
Prices range from pocket change to almost luxury-level splurges. People claim they help with stress, insomnia, and even breaking bad habits like smoking.
But more than anything, they say it’s about tapping into a comfort they haven’t felt since they were little.
Psychologists even have a name for it: the regression phenomenon. When life gets overwhelming, some of us retreat, mentally and emotionally, to the things that made us feel safe before the world got complicated.
It’s the same reason adults gravitate toward coloring books or binge-watch the cartoons they grew up with. And social media, of course, is fueling the fire.
TikTok is full of creators showing off their custom pacifiers, talking openly about how they help with ADHD, sensory overload, or the general chaos of adulting.
Dentists and doctors aren’t exactly handing out gold stars for this one, since regular use can mess with your bite, cause jaw pain, or even make chewing uncomfortable.
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And if you fall asleep with one? There is a risk of breathing trouble. Therapists also point out that while it might help you feel calmer for a bit, it’s not going to tackle the bigger issues causing that stress.
It’s like hitting snooze on the problem, and don’t we owe it to ourselves to put the work in to fix what’s really bothering us underneath it all?
That doesn’t mean pacifiers are automatically a bad thing. For some people, it’s just another quirky comfort, like sipping warm milk before bed or sleeping with your childhood blanket that resembles a rag more than anything else (you know, like my sister).
My best advice? Just be honest with yourself about why you’re using a pacifier. If a pacifier is an occasional thing to help you wind down after a hectic day, fine, but if it’s your go-to coping tool every time life gets messy, it might be time to look at other options to help you deal.
Love it or hate it, the pacifier trend says a lot about where we’re at right now: tired, stressed, and craving something soft and familiar in a world that’s anything but.
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