China warns of blind box ‘addiction' among country's youth

South China Morning Post

20-06-2025

The official newspaper of China's ruling Communist Party has cautioned against an 'addiction' to blind card packs and blind boxes among the country's youths as the summer holiday approaches.
People's Daily called for strict identity verification to curb the 'out-of-control consumption' of blind boxes – opaque packages containing randomly chosen toys, models or cards – by minors in a report
published on Friday
The items, with their allure of 'unknown surprises,' have become highly sought-after by young consumers, but hide 'commercial traps' that induce impulsive spending, the article said.
As the 'guzi economy' or 'goods economy' – merchandise related to anime, games, idols and other copyrighted works –
takes hold among China's younger generation, the newspaper's warning echoes regulations enacted four years ago to prevent online gaming addiction among teenagers.
Because the exact product within a given blind box or card pack is not known until it is bought and opened, their purchase carries an element of gambling. This is augmented by the varied designs and rarity levels used by merchants to attract consumers, fuelling their desire to collect entire sets.
In recent years, blind card packs have gained popularity among children and teenagers for their similarly unpredictable rewards, People's Daily said.
'Irrational consumption is common among children and teenagers, with some spending hundreds or even thousands of yuan in a single transaction to chase rare cards,' the authors concluded after interviewing multiple teenagers.