Whether you’ve been lucky enough to go on vacation or not, it’s nearly impossible to miss out on Pop it. After having squatted in schoolyards at the end of the school year, this little multicolored silicone toy with various shapes (star, dinosaur, heart …), has become the undisputed star of the summer, flooding French beaches, summer markets or shopping streets. Its principle? Small balls that can be burst endlessly, a sort of modern derivative of classic bubble wrap, with anti-stress effects.
A game designed in the 1970s and marketed under the name “Last One Lost” in the early 2010s as reported The world at the beginning of July, but who however had to wait for TikTok to be a real success. With the #popitchallenge (which accumulated more than 150 million views on the platform at the beginning of the summer according to The Parisian), the subscribers of the social network challenged themselves to burst a well-defined number of bubbles in a limited time, thus launching a new fashion effect. And since then it has been a real tidal wave.
Children love it, just like some adults, delighted to be able to run their nerves on this little piece of silicone. But if it is a real source of satisfaction for some, for others it has become an ordeal, annoyed by the phenomenon. Solicited by a call for contributions, the readers of 20 minutes expressed their enthusiasm for Pop it, or their fed up.
“Calm” and “playful”
It is obviously a majority of parents who shared their experience, this little game being above all a resounding success with children. Parents who for many have been confronted with social pressure, and the irrepressible desire of their offspring to have a Pop it like the others. “My daughter came back from the day center begging me to buy her one, the one in the shape of a unicorn, like that of her friend Léa. It was absolutely necessary to be “cool”, I obviously fell for it! »Admits in all honesty Laure, a mother of 36 years. An understandable reaction that avoids a mini summer drama, see reproaches for life. Especially since some are barely recovering from the hand spinner phenomenon …
Others, like Nadège, who testified on our Facebook page, were convinced despite some reluctance. “I thought it was still an uninteresting fad and I must say that I am pleasantly surprised because there are a multitude of little games to be made: speed to burst the bubbles, we hide a marble and whoever finds it lost, with a dice to help the youngest count… It can make people wait calmly in a waiting room or channel the most restless, ”she says. Like Nadège, Annie discovered that Pop it was not just a simple silicone plate to press on, but that it could be compared to a game like the 4th Power.
“I bought it in Vendée, it cost me three euros and we played it together with my six-year-old daughter,” she says. It is a fun game with reflection. At the start you announce the color and the number of bubbles, then vertical, horizontal or diagonal. The opponent does the same and the goal is that only one remains. A fun game on the beach, and just go underwater for the sand. »Other rules exist, you will find some of them this way.
Among the convinced, some also grant Pop it soothing and concentration properties. This is the case of Jessica, a 33-year-old mother whose son has Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). “He discovered this game at the speech therapist and immediately joined,” she explains. He can stay on it for a few minutes which is good. It also improves his skill and dexterity at the level of the fingers, it is somewhat for this purpose that his speech therapist introduced him to this game. ”As stated by the site of Francetvinfo, it would also be used more and more among health professionals.
“Absurd” and “useless”
If you’ve ever tried bubble wrap, you know how satisfying the activity can be for you, but also very irritating for others … Well it’s the same with Pop it. “For those who play, it may be relaxing but for those who are nearby, it is annoying to hear the flop-flop! », Explains Agnès. An opinion shared by Isabelle. “Anti-stress for the one who plays with it, too much stress for the one who is next! », She annoys. And indeed, the game does not only gain followers. The main complaint? The famous “fashion effect”. “I did not give in (despite numerous requests, he is 12 years old) to the purchase of this little piece of plastic which will end up like the other summer booms at the back of the closet. And I don’t feel guilty, ”says the fifty-year-old Nathalie.
Some like Christine, 60, who describes herself as “a mother and a teacher in revolt”, even give a big rant: “I am devastated to see so much stupidity and unconsciousness in the face of this plastic fashion phenomenon. At a time when we must seek to protect nature, I see Pop it abandoned in the forest. Well done to the inventor-polluter! There are so many things to do to occupy or de-stress children. But it may take time! Our planet is in bad shape. “
A point of view shared by Rebecca, 40. “I have formally given up on offering my daughters this absolutely absurd, non-ecological, ugly and useless game! I got tricked by the little rubber bands to make necklaces and bracelets. I still have a bag that regularly vomits its contents to the four corners of the apartment. My daughters very quickly heard my cry of exasperation and accepted the ecological argument to give up this new fashionable game which will already be obsolete a month after the start of the school year. “
In defense of Pop it, it is made of silicone, which is much less polluting than plastic. But this is obviously not a reason to abandon it in nature. When its imminent disappearance, given the scale of the phenomenon, there is a good chance that the game will persist and sign at the start of the school year … And in the meantime, it will be necessary to be done with “plop plop plop” mixed with the soft noise waves.