China Consumer Association rejects violent 'Natasha' doll trend. Warns marketing may violate laws, normalizes destruction, harms minors' mental health. Urges platforms to remove vulgar content.
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Source: OT-Team(G), 人民日报
A viral black baby doll called "Natasha" is being thrown, stabbed, and stomped for "stress relief." China's consumer watchdog says violence is not an excuse.
While the trend has boosted sales, it has also sparked growing concern among educators, parents, and child psychologists. Some primary school teachers report that students with weaker judgment are mimicking the violent acts seen online, warning that such behavior could fuel aggression and even trigger bullying among classmates. Child psychologists argue that this form of “stress relief” is not only ineffective but actively harmful—normalizing violence as an emotional outlet and distorting adolescents’ perception of empathy, particularly toward real infants.
Consumer Association: Destress Does Not Mean Destruct
In response to the trend, the China Consumer Association (CCA) has issued a firm statement rejecting the notion that violence can be equated with stress relief.
First, the CCA warns that violent and suggestive marketing content may violate Chinese law. Some promotional videos for “Natasha” feature sexually suggestive poses, adult-oriented props, or graphic violence—all designed to generate clicks. According to the CCA, such content violates the principle of public order and good morals under civil law, as well as provisions in the Cybersecurity Law and Advertising Law.
Second, the CCA criticizes the toy’s design as a fundamental value misalignment. While well-designed stress-relief toys can offer a healthy emotional outlet, the core gameplay of “Natasha”—smashing, stabbing, trampling, and cutting—turns destruction into entertainment. The CCA argues that such design abandons aesthetic, cultural, and emotional value, running counter to the civilized, healthy, and green consumption principles advocated under the Consumer Rights Protection Law.
Third, the CCA stresses the need to protect minors’ mental health. Given that many stress-relief toys are bought for or by children, the association invokes the Minor Protection Law, which requires that products for minors must not endanger their physical or mental well-being. The CCA specifically calls out marketing slogans such as “better to pinch a doll than raise a child,” which it says can easily mislead young consumers with underdeveloped judgment.
A Call for Responsibility Across the Board
The CCA urges all parties involved in the consumption chain to act responsibly. Online platforms, as gatekeepers, must reject vulgar marketing and remove content involving violence or obscenity. Manufacturers and sellers should comply with national standards and produce toys that balance fun with physical and psychological safety. Families and schools, meanwhile, are encouraged to guide minors toward healthy ways to manage stress and help them recognize harmful or manipulative content online.
“Do not let ‘stress relief’ disguise violence, and do not let online traffic reward vulgarity,” the CCA said in its statement, emphasizing that emotional consumption should never come at the cost of social ethics or children’s well-being.
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