Exploring Emotional Attachments in Children's Toy Relationships

The existing production and consumption system is causing significant plastic waste in the toy market. Unfortunately, most toys are discarded within six months of purchase, often due to the limited opportunities for extending the lifespan of toys through repairing, reusing, or recycling. To address this issue, this study explores the potential of emotional durability as a strategy to promote sustainable consumption in the toy industry. Utilizing the Emotional Durability Design Nine Framework as a theoretical foundation, this study emphasizes creating long-lasting emotional connections between children and their toys through various dimensions such as narratives, identity, relationships, and evolvability. A mixed-method approach is employed to engage children aged 10 to 12 in reflecting on their emotional attachments to toys, starting with semi-structured interviews with five children to identify their favorite toys, which they have kept for an extended period, and the factors influencing their attachment. Following that, cultural probes in the form of an activity set are designed to explore the stories associated with these toys and tested with four children. Finally, the refined version of the activity set is conducted in the classroom environment with 30 children. Findings indicate that personal memories, the desire for personalization, and the ability to repair or modify toys significantly influence children's attachment and the longevity of their toys. By integrating emotional durability into toy design, the study highlights its potential to encourage sustainable consumption practices and reduce waste in the toy industry, which may also encourage children to see toys as valuable, long-term companions rather than disposable items.