The Squishy

In this article, Melanie discusses the Needoh craze around GPHS.

The Squishy

By: Melanie Campbell

Needohs have taken over Grants Pass High School. They are sold as participation prizes for the 5-Star App, and seem to have been in every classroom at least once this school year. But what are they? They are square-shaped squishies-- rubber cubes filled with a jelly-like compound primarily composed of polyvinyl alcohol. That’s it. Needoh has released a couple of variations with the increasing popularity, such as the gumdrop Needoh and the jellyfish Needoh; however, the most popular variation is simply a squishy rubber cube.

Needohs are vanishing from shelves around the nation, their popularity causing them to sell out rapidly. Many students, both in Grants Pass and throughout the United States, have found Needohs difficult to find, and have ended up having to buy knock-offs from stores such as Bi-Mart and Walmart. Amanda Stewart, founder of Salt Lake City–based Mochi Kids, told New York Magazine, "They sell out so fast. We have a dozen people either calling or walking into the store every day asking for them." Needohs themselves are not extremely durable, though, and the cheaper versions rip even more easily.

Image of a Needoh. Image from Kaplan Early Learning

Sensory toys such as the Needoh have long been popular. An example of this is the fidget spinner, a toy that became popular around 2016, in which the user holds the center and spins the outer part. Sensory toys are designed to stimulate the senses, and are important for calming, sensory regulation, and supporting those with sensory processing disorders, autism, and ADHD. When they are popularized, however, they can cause chaos and distractions. For example, one GPHS junior threw a Needoh in an English classroom during a movie day when the teacher left the room, cracking the computer screen of his classmate. A sophomore broke open another Needoh in class, staining the carpet. As with any trend, Needohs have the potential to quickly become obnoxious.

Will the massive mania of this fidget result in the continued difficulty of finding them in Grants Pass? In a Scroll survey of the average student in second lunch at Grants Pass High School, 16 out of the 25 (or 64%) of people asked stated that Needohs are declining in popularity as of April 9. This could be an example of rapidly declining fads, but it could also be a result of students not being able to find them in stores anymore.

Image from KTIV

For the time being, Needohs have become immensely popular. Students are rushing to buy them (when they can get access to a store that is not sold out). Needohs, unfortunately, are another instance of people buying things unnecessarily. They are objects that hold interest for short periods of time, and then eventually end up in landfills. Grants Pass High School is an interesting model to examine the growth, decline, and effects of trend culture.

Sources:

Lunch Survey
New York Magazine

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