When the going gets tough, the tough … pop in a pacifier?
That’s the surprising stress-busting move thousands of young adults in China are making — swapping melatonin and meditation for an adult-sized binky.
Once a niche quirk, the silicone soothers are supposedly now big business on Chinese e-commerce giants like Taobao and JD.com, where they are priced anywhere from a budget-friendly 10 yuan ($1.40) to a luxury 500 yuan ($70).
They’re sold as sleep aids, stress relievers, even smoking-cessation tools — and shoppers are gobbling them up. Some online sellers move thousands each month, according to the South China Morning Post.
And the fans aren’t shy about why. “When I’m under pressure at work, I feel a sense of safety from childhood,” one Chinese buyer said, as reported by the outlet.
But not everyone’s clapping for the comeback kid of the baby aisle.
Dr. Tang Caomin, a dentist in Sichuan, warned SCMP that “if you sleep with a pacifier in your mouth, it can interfere with breathing, and in the worst case, there is a risk of suffocation.”
The doctor also cautioned that prolonged use can mess with your bite, strain your jaw and even disrupt sleep.
The trend isn’t staying swaddled in China, either.
TikTok is sucking it up — literally — with videos of American adults pacifying themselves in traffic, at work, or in the throes of burnout.
In the comments section of a TikTok by @thebentist, one user swore, “I just use an adult pacifier it hasn’t moved my teeth been using them for 4 years.”
Another doubled down: “Just get an adult pacifier I use one! And the ADHD tip it works!!(for me).”
Others admitted, “we gotta do what we gotta do to keep focused. over bite or not getting stuff we need to get done. Lol,” while one confessed, “im so ashamed, I’ve been addicted for 23 years, my entire life.”
Some naysayers chimed in with alternatives — “if you want something in ur mouth, chew gum. if you want to suck on something (like a pacifier) have a sucker [lollipop].”
Meanwhile, beneath a related and recent clip about the trend from @theageaustralia, commenters offered everything from mock psychoanalysis — “RIP Sigmund Freud you would’ve loved whatever this is” — to personal testimony: “I have been using an adult pacifier for 4 years now and I have no dental problems..”
One summed it up bluntly: “It was cheaper than a mouth guard and didn’t make me want to claw my teeth out trying to sleep.”
And it’s not the only sign that young adults are craving a softer landing in the real world.
As previously reported by The Post, some members of Gen Z are flocking to “Adulting 101” crash courses, desperate to learn how to change a tire without FaceTiming their dads, how to read an electric bill without crying and/ or how to fold a fitted sheet without having an existential crisis.
Overall, it looks like growing up may be hard — but for some, giving it the pacifier treatment is a lot easier to swallow.
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