Senior Anna Kim, who said she has considerable anxiety from exams and assignments, repeatedly squeezes her NeeDoh during class. Soon, the stress gradually reduces and her mind becomes calmer.  

NeeDoh, a gel-filled cube widely recognized as a stress relief toy, went viral on TikTok after famous Korean singer Rosé was seen using it in an interview. Soon, NeeDoh quickly gained popularity.

“With final exams and the anticipation of college admission results all piling up at once, my anxiety and stress levels started to rise significantly,” Kim said. “When I actually used it, I found it to be more effective than I had expected. As I held it in my hands and fidgeted with it, I could feel my tension gradually easing.”

Senior Denise Dinh, said she also uses her NeeDoh daily.

“I started using it not for anxiety reasons or anything but because of how satisfying it was, and I like to keep my hands busy,” Dinh said. “Also, I found it helps focus. I use it in class and whenever I’m bored on my phone. It’s just another source of stimulation.”

Dinh said the toy’s rising popularity shows how trends spread among students.

“I think they’re satisfying to squish but also seeing more and more people having them definitely makes people want to have one as well,” Dinh said. “It’s like a bandwagon thing. I got a NeeDoh because I saw my friend with one, and ever since they’ve been so popular that they’re always out of stock.”

Junior Isabella Zheng, who is the president of the Clinical Psychology Club, said the toy’s ability to redirect attention makes it popular.

“Usually when students are stressed, they are overwhelmed by millions of negative thoughts and messages,” Zheng said. “This may cause them to lose their progress and enter into a state called mental exhaustion, a state when the body, as a mechanism to defend itself, may choose to avoid the event that’s causing stress. Those toys can therefore help the students to shift their focus temporarily and regain their mental stability while squeezing them.”

Psychology teacher Christopher Farina said the toys also provide a physical way to relax.

“The research I’m familiar with is on progressive muscle relaxation, which is a technique where you go through your body tensing one set of muscles up at a time and then relaxing them,” Farina said. “It helps patients identify areas where they’re holding tension, helps them notice what it feels like to have those muscles in a relaxed state, and helps them practice relaxing those muscles. As I understand it, it’s a pretty common practice.”

However, Zheng said fidget toys shouldn’t be the main method a person uses for stress relief.

“NeeDoh can be a convenient toy for students to fulfill their needs whenever and wherever they want,” Zheng said. “It’s pretty common to see people squeezing them even during class. I believe it could be used as a means to shift focus on a temporary basis as I’ve mentioned before, but it (doesn’t) solve the root problem. Students should instead speak with counselors or professionals to discuss the root of the stress, which can usually be eliminated by developing good personal habits and becoming a more organized person in their daily routine.”

While this may be a better solution, Dinh said the NeeDoh is an easy additive for her.

“I would recommend them because they’re not too expensive, and you really only need one,” Dinh said. “It’s just a fun thing to have even if you are not stressed.”

Still, Zheng said there are other effective ways to manage stress.

“The best way for students to deal with academic pressure (is exercise),” Zheng said. “The dopamine produced by exercising can be way more rewarding, and students can also achieve better physical health at the same time.”

In the end Farina said managing stress is important regardless of the method.

“Chronic stress is associated with all kinds of adverse physiological and psychological outcomes,” Farina said. “Teaching kids how to notice, manage, and leverage stress helps them throughout the rest of their lives.”