On the afternoon of September 22, before the return-to-school bell had even rung, a stationery shop near an elementary school in Furong District was crowded with students. They carefully browsed the shelves, their chatter full of excitement\u2014\u201cEveryone\u2019s collecting this blind box pen, I just need the last one to complete my set!\u201d \u201cThis hamburger eraser looks so real.\u201d \u201cGuess what makes this ruler glow?\u201d \u2026 The eager choices and animated exchanges of children have fueled the popularity of \u201ctoy-ified\u201d stationery on campus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In recent days, reporters visited stationery stores in Changsha and found that traditional pens, exercise books, and erasers were relegated to inconspicuous corners, while shelves were dominated by \u201ctoy-ified\u201d stationery: Disney blind box pens with surprise designs, highly realistic food-shaped erasers, pens filled with liquid glitter\u2026 Products combining \u201cstationery function\u201d and \u201ctoy attributes\u201d have become the main sellers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe blind box pens sell best\u2014kids like collecting different characters, so they often buy several at once.\u201d A stationery shop owner near a primary school in Yuelu District explained that after the semester started, blind box and decorative stationery accounted for over 60% of sales. Reporters also noticed that many products marketed themselves as \u201cfun\u201d and \u201cnovel,\u201d with \u201ctoy-like\u201d features outweighing practical use. Walking into a stationery shop feels more like entering a toy store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Parents Worry About \u201cDistraction,\u201d Teachers Struggle with \u201cManagement\u201d<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Unlike the children\u2019s delight, parents and teachers are filled with concerns about the trend. \u201cAfter buying blind box pens, my child doesn\u2019t want to write homework\u2014just fiddles with the pen decorations and procrastinates endlessly.\u201d Ms. Wang, a parent, voiced a sentiment shared by many. She found that since using \u201cgimmicky stationery,\u201d her child\u2019s focus had noticeably declined, and homework errors had increased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other parents face similar challenges. \u201cTo complete a cartoon-themed stationery set, my child spent more than 200 yuan on stationery in a single month, which is wasteful and fosters a mindset of comparison.\u201d Mr. Li was even more worried about safety: some stationery had small detachable parts that might be swallowed, while others with glowing features risked harming children\u2019s eyesight with prolonged use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Zhang, a third-grade teacher in Wangcheng District, observed that \u201cfun stationery\u201d has become a kind of \u201chard currency,\u201d with food-shaped erasers the most common. \u201cChildren can\u2019t resist playing with them during class, which not only affects their own focus but also distracts classmates.\u201d In her view, once children get used to treating stationery as toys, even ordinary rulers and notebooks can become \u201cdistraction tools,\u201d making classroom management more difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Guiding Rational Consumption, Returning Stationery to Its Essence<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Industry experts point out that stationery\u2019s core function is to serve learning. If it strays from practicality and focuses solely on entertainment, it inevitably becomes a \u201cdisruptor\u201d to studying. Only through joint efforts to guide stationery back to its original purpose can children focus on learning and grow healthily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As the primary buyers, parents should guide children to adopt rational consumption habits. \u201cCommunicate with kids about what they truly need, prioritize basic branded items, and avoid blind boxes or oddly shaped products that easily distract.\u201d Some parents shared their shopping principles: focusing on \u201cpracticality, safety, and eco-friendliness\u201d while avoiding \u201ctrendy\u201d or \u201ccompetitive\u201d purchases. The Provincial Consumer Council also suggested parents review current supplies with their children, create a shopping list, and reduce unnecessary repeat purchases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Schools can also play a strong guiding role. At Zhang\u2019s school, class meetings and parent-teacher meetings have been used to promote the idea that \u201csimple stationery supports better learning,\u201d with clear advice that \u201cstationery doesn\u2019t need decoration; students should avoid comparing or indulging in \u2018toy-like stationery\u2019 and keep their focus on studying.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beyond family and school cooperation, regulation and oversight are equally crucial. Experts recommend strengthening quality and safety checks on \u201ctoy-ified\u201d stationery, focusing on risks like detachable parts and harmful light-emitting devices. Marketing practices also need regulation to prevent businesses from using tactics such as blind boxes to lure minors into overconsumption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Declaration: This article comes from Li Chenghui, Hunan Daily All-Media Reporter; Li Zhi, Trainee Reporter.If copyright issues are involved, please contact us to delete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the beginning of the new semester, \u201cNezha\u201d-themed bl […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-727","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-stationery-trade-news"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.stationerytrade.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/image.png\")
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