Manufacturers play "edge balls" in product theme modeling in order to increase popularity
Let the hot blind box develop orderly under the sunshine of the rule of law
□ Our reporter Zhao Chenxiwen / photo
Wearing bunny hair accessories, wearing black stockings, lying on the ground and cocking the buttocks... This somewhat "sweet" look is the latest blind box product launched by a fashion play brand.
"Adults will blush when they see such shapes and clothing, let alone children." This blind box product has attracted some parents' questions and concerns.
In recent years, the blind box trendy game products have become more and more popular, but the accompanying themes, shapes and other issues have also frequently raised doubts, especially for minors who have not yet been involved in the world, parents are worried that some elements contain horror, pornography and other elements The product will affect the child's growth.
Controversy over the theme
"Mom, do you think I look like 'she'?" Ms. Jia, who lives in Haidian District, Beijing, just walked in after get off work, and her 6-year-old daughter immediately lay on the sofa and raised her butt.
The "imitation objects" in her mouth are two blind box dolls placed on the coffee table.
Ms. Jia saw that one of the two dolls was in the shape of a clown and the other was in the shape of a cowboy.
After careful inquiries, Ms. Jia learned that this was a blind box that my grandmother took the child to buy in a fashion store in the shopping mall in the afternoon, and the child has been imitating this "sleeping position" since returning.
She believes that this kind of clothing and styling is easy to have a bad influence on children.
In fact, this is not the first time that blind box products have been questioned due to their theme styling.
Previously, a series of blind boxes of the dark-style "Fortress in the Jungle" were also evaluated by many parents because they contained elements such as ghosts, zombies, and demons, which were easy to leave "childhood shadows" for children.
"Chongwan culture has developed rapidly in recent years, and there are many brands. If you want to 'stand out', some products have come up with the idea of hunting." Yoyo, who stepped into the fashion circle more than 10 years ago, introduced to reporters that the initial trend In fact, the audience is very small. It is mainly aimed at young people who pay attention to design elements and trendy brands. The price is not cheap, and it is not a toy for children.
With the launch of blind box products with affordable prices and cute shapes, Chaowan blind boxes have become more and more popular.
In order to gain the support of fans, manufacturers can only make a fuss about the theme and shape.
Controversy can only be topical, and it may even increase the "renown" of the product, so there are some controversial blind box products. But it does not prevent it from becoming a hit. In a flagship store of an e-commerce platform, the sales of the blind box reached "4000+" in just one month.
Liu Junhai, a professor at the School of Law of Renmin University of China, believes that the attention and protection of minors cannot be overstated. Minors are still in the growth stage physically and mentally, and they have poor discernment of many things and are easy to imitate. Products with erotic "edgeball" elements may have a negative demonstration effect on children.
Age-appropriate reminders turned into decorations
"This product is suitable for the age of 15 and above", "This product is only for collection and use by people aged 15 and above"... On the packaging boxes of many blind box hand-made products, the reporter saw such a prompt.
However, in the major fashion play stores, the reporter tried to buy it for a 5-year-old child, but there was no problem.
On August 7, the reporter came to a fashion store in a shopping center in Haidian District, Beijing. The store was crowded, and many parents were taking their children to choose blind boxes.
When the reporter picked up a dark blind box and asked the clerk if it was suitable for a 5-year-old child to buy, the clerk made it clear that there was no problem, and all products in the store were suitable for all ages.
"Isn't the back of the box marked as suitable for over 15 years old?" Facing the reporter's question, the clerk said that the blind box trendy play products are basically marked as suitable for over 15 years old, but the main reason is that the child is too young and accidentally swallowed. Considerations such as small parts or damage caused by not knowing how to store the product have nothing to do with the subject matter of the product.
In the figure area in the store, the reporter found that there are many Japanese animation figures displayed on the shelves, some of which are more exposed, and the back of the box is also marked with the words suitable for collection and use by people aged 15 and above.
However, there is no special person to take care of this area, and children can choose and buy various products on the shelves at will.
This kind of situation is not uncommon in the major tide play stores.
The 6th floor of a shopping mall in Chongwenmen, Dongcheng District, Beijing is a well-known gathering place for fashionable models in the circle. A large number of store display windows display many models of hand-made products with different shapes, including some "not suitable for children" products.
For example, the model of Zhang Fei, the warrior of the Three Kingdoms, is displayed in a store with a glaring, bloody head in his hand, and there are many beautiful figures in three-point swimsuits and even almost naked in the window of a nearby store. .
"The model figures are not exclusive to otaku anymore." The owner of the store said disapprovingly that many children are now influenced by cultures such as the second dimension, and they do not exclude these things.
Strictly regulate and strengthen management
"In Japan, where the two-dimensional culture is developed, there is a clear classification system for blind boxes and figures as peripheral derivatives of animation and game works." Youyou said, for example, the same character in the same animation, if it is made into Q version Mao Plush doll shape, then the product is suitable for people of all ages to buy, but if it is made into a swimsuit version or even a version that can be put on and off, then the product cannot be sold together with the Q version plush doll, but will be sold in Sold separately.
In contrast, my country's management of blind box trendy play products is not yet perfect.
my country does not apply a grading system. In terms of management, it is necessary to establish and improve relevant systems, regulate production, sales and other links, and control the influx of bad blind box fashion products into the market from the source, endangering the physical and mental health of minors.
Chen Yinjiang, deputy secretary-general of the Consumer Rights Protection Law Research Association of the China Law Society, said that the words "suitable for people aged 15 and over" marked on the packaging of most of the current blind box trendy game products are more like "exemption from liability" by merchants. Terms and Conditions", once a consumer questioned that the product was not suitable for minors, the merchant argued that it had been expressly stated on the packaging.
Therefore, strict mandatory standards should be established from product production to sales, which must be strictly followed in the process of online and offline sales, and violators will be severely punished.
This can not only draw a red line for enterprises, but also allow the regulatory authorities to have laws to follow, avoiding mere formality.
Currently, some localities have promulgated relevant regulations.
In January, the Shanghai Municipal Administration for Market Regulation issued the "Shanghai Blind Box Business Activities Compliance Guidelines", which stipulates that blind box operators shall not sell blind boxes to minors under the age of 8.
In May, the Ganzhou Municipal Market Supervision and Administration Bureau of Jiangxi Province issued the "Guidelines for the Compliance of Blind Box Production and Operation Activities in Ganzhou City", which put forward stricter requirements for the sale of blind boxes to minors - no sales of blind boxes to minors under the age of 14 are allowed. box.
Liu Junhai believes that these compliance guidelines are only advocacy documents and do not have legal force. National regulations for the production and operation of blind boxes should be issued to clarify the red lines of production and operation activities of enterprises, and to control the production, sales, advertising and other aspects of blind boxes. To standardize, let the popular blind box economy develop in an orderly manner within the track of rule of law.
"Blind box fashion play does not mean excessive pursuit of novelty." In addition to improving the legal system, Chu Zhaohui, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Educational Sciences, believes that companies must also improve their awareness of the protection of minors, and as a product manufacturer, it is the responsibility of the society to provide Commodities that conform to the correct value concept should not be purely for the pursuit of economic interests, without taking into account the potential negative effects that products may bring to minors.
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