POLL: Do you still have any items from your childhood?
We looked into the reasons why many hold on to their childhood possessions.
If you’ve ever thought back to the love you had for your childhood blanket or teddy bear or wondered if it still has a place in your heart - you’re not alone.
Holding on to items from our childhood, according to research, is a universal sentiment that has a purpose attached to it.
Although bonds with sentimental objects are not frowned upon, it is important to ensure that you don’t become dependent on them as an adult.
A survey conducted in 2017 found that over 50% of adults in the USA has still have their childhood teddy bears.
Before we get into the reasons why many adults hold on to their precious possesssions, answer our poll:
Sensory Comfort
According to a study conducted last year, a teddy bear is a comforting item thanks to its smell, looks and how it feels to hold and touch. This specific item (and others used for sensory comfort such as blankets) can support many through emotional moments.
Anxiety Relief
Research revealed that children link mental states to items that they have a connection with. Children can sometimes see these objects with faces and it’s been reported that adults can have a similar response.Replacing people with things
Although these are all inanimate objects that people are attached to, they often relate to them as if they were people. Naming your car or thanking your vehicle for driving you somewhere safely is part of anthropomorphising things.
People try to find a human connection, even if it's not formed with other humans. This is done so that we think in ways that make us believe that the people we care about (even if they are not present) are constantly physically present.
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