Now
An Ultraman card is popular among kids
Poker-sized card pack
It is equipped with a variety of character cards
The more cards you draw, the higher the level
Cards are also rarer
Children go through card collection, card exchange, etc
Formed their own "card social"
But there are also children who are obsessed with this kind of blind box consumption
Even steal money to buy cards
Parents
It's like falling into a bottomless pit
"This kind of card is simply 'toxic', my son has just started kindergarten, he doesn't know a few words, but no matter how awkward the Ultraman name is, he can blurt it out when he sees it." Ms. Zhu, who lives in an industrial park, said that the children were influenced by their kindergarten classmates and their favorite snacks and Lego were no longer interested. For birthdays, grandparents are asked to send cards as gifts, and on the way to the interest class, passing by small shops also need to buy a few packs. "What's worse is that for a few tens of dollars, he only needs one or two cards in it, and the others are ashes at home or thrown away."
"When we were young, we also liked to collect the Water Margin character cards in the little raccoon's crisp noodles, but compared with today's children, it is really a little witch." Mr. Wang, a citizen, and Ms. Zhu have the same feelings, he said that his son is currently in the second grade of primary school, collecting cards for two or three years, at the beginning it was just like buying a bag of 10 yuan as a treasure, and now buying a box of several hundred yuan is satisfied. On weekends, children and friends get together to compete for card rarity and defense and attack values, and will also exchange the cards they want.
Mr. Wang has purchased thousands of yuan of Ultraman cards for his children, in order not to spend money unjustly and improve the efficiency of the collection card, he also pays attention to videos such as card opening cheats on platforms such as Douyin, and he is also about to become an expert in studying Ultraman cards. "Cards have a hierarchical distinction, and the more stars there are, the rarer the card is and the more collectible it is." Mr. Zhu said, "I thought that the child had collected it, but I broke his thoughts, but I didn't expect that the new types of cards have been increasing, and now there are signature cards, giant cards, and transparent cards, and I feel like I have fallen into a bottomless pit." ”
In the interview, most parents are neutral to their children's enthusiasm for Ultraman cards, and some parents said that after their children play cards, the time to look at mobile phones is short, so children have fun and parents are happy to be perfect; some parents say that their children are originally introverted, and now they can use cards to cultivate certain social skills, so they don't pay too much attention to it. However, there are also parents who believe that the card itself has no value, and it is too wasteful to buy repeatedly for a small number of rare cards.
Business
The more expensive the more you can draw a "good card"
The interview found that in fact, the cards currently on the market include Ultraman, Marvel, Naruto, Ye Luoli and other series, but Ultraman, with its positive energy image of "believing in light", has become the top stream in the hearts of young boys and is more sought after.
In the vicinity of many stores and schools in Sioux City, from the toy counters of shopping malls and supermarkets, to stationery stores and convenience stores, Ultraman series cards have almost become standard, with bulk versions, legendary versions, deluxe editions, black diamond editions, etc., with prices ranging from 10 yuan, 20 yuan, 50 yuan to 300 yuan. After school or on holidays, many children flock to buy. At the counter, some cheered for the rare cards, and some regretted that they had won the regular cards.
"Cards are actually similar to blind boxes, but the more expensive they buy, the higher probability of winning a good card." In the stationery store of an office building on Xinghu Street, the clerk said that most of the people who bought Ultraman cards were elementary school students, and in order to promote sales, the store specially added bulk card bags of less than 20 yuan. "There are 16 cards for 20 yuan a pack, the child wants to buy, the parents will not be too distressed, the sales are the best, basically every week to replenish."
In the toy section of a large shopping mall, the Ultraman cards on display look more "tall". For example, the commemorative gift box priced at 329 yuan, the packaging clearly indicates that it contains two exclusive cards, and only by buying this gift box can you get it. The clerk said that whether other rare cards can be drawn in the card box depends on luck in the end.
In fact, Ultraman cards are not only selling well offline, but also selling amazingly online. In the Taobao flagship store, the sales of 30 yuan cards reached more than 300,000 pieces, and the total sales of commemorative gift boxes of more than 300 yuan also reached more than 30,000 pieces. On an online second-hand trading platform, many collectors display or sell rare Ultraman cards, and some limited edition offer prices are even speculated to more than 1,000 yuan.
Specialist
Discover other shining points for your child
On the one hand
The ultraman card blind box-like opening process is a pleasant surprise
On the other hand
But it is also easy to let children who are not deeply involved in the world
Indulge in gambling-style pleasures
"If you find that there is a phenomenon of card addiction, parents should try to communicate with their children, understand the motivation behind the behavior, whether they need to make friends, or hope to get recognition or attention, and remind them that it does not have to be achieved in the form of collecting cards." Zhang Zhongyuan, a full-time psychology teacher at Jinji Lake School in Suzhou Industrial Park, said that some children do not bring Ultraman cards and other cards to school every day, but they still hear students talking about related topics. She believes that some children may not be clear about the behavior of the card collection, in the end to meet their own needs, if they want to integrate into the group, parents can try to guide them to explore other shining points, such as helpfulness, excellent grades, literary and artistic expertise, sincerity and kindness, etc., and then obtain the friendship of peers.
Zhang Zhongyuan said that enriching students' extracurricular activities can also help children disperse their addiction to cards. Now the schools in Sioux City have basically launched after-school delay services, through the arrangement of music, art, sports, science and other categories of clubs and club activities, to enhance the comprehensive literacy of students, even the main subject of english, teachers will also use Rubik's Cube, dubbing and other interesting small activities to stimulate children's interest in learning.
As for the behavior of individual children stealing money to buy cards, Luo Lin, a psychotherapist at the Suzhou Mental Health Center, believes that children are prone to comparison psychology out of envy or showing off, and some will even over-consume. Parents should conduct financial education while meeting their children's reasonable needs.
For example, allow children to dispose of limited funds and guide them to plan their income and expenditure. In addition, some children are addicted to cards because they are lonely and lack of companionship, and parents must learn to establish intimate interactions with their children. "Parents need to pay attention to 'blocking is not as good as slacking', the more restrictive the child, the stronger the child's desire." Instead of this, it is better to understand the prohibition, properly satisfy the child, and reduce his sense of lack. Rollin said.
Source: Su Bao Rong Media reporter Zhou Han
Edit: Xiao Ji