Growing up has never been easy. Adulthood is that phase in our lives where we can’t help but look back with a sense of distant nostalgia at our childhood fantasies.

And before we know it, we’re using our “adult money” to purchase the next katana set, lightsaber, anime collectible or tickets to Comic Con.

I welcome you to a steadily growing consumer market called “kidults”.

Coined by merging the terms “kids” and “adults”, kidults refers to the market of adults who are making toys, games and childhood interests a part of their lives all over again. This isn’t about refusing to grow up; it’s about preserving the psychological concept of our inner child. Or maybe it’s not that serious, and an adult is simply curious about revisiting their childhood interests. Whatever the reason for this phenomenon, one thing is obvious: it’s attracting a lot of adult attention. And that is something to talk about.

The numbers in the kidult market suggest that this is more than just a passing trend. According to Circana, a leading market research company, the toy market for teens and adults aged 12 and above across France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK was valued at €4.5 billion in 2023, representing 28.5% of total toy sales in those markets. The market also grew by 2.5% compared to 2022.

So, yes, there’s a market for those of us who want to spend our hard-earned money on things that once made our childhoods a little more magical.

But let’s go back to why adults started searching for escapism through their childhood interests.

This requires numbers, because it’s a little more serious than you think. The global workforce is experiencing an amalgamation of burnout and loneliness. According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2024 report, one in five employees worldwide experienced loneliness a lot of the previous day. That’s not such a pleasant experience. And while loneliness and workplace stress aren’t necessarily the same thing, they can both contribute to an exhausting adult life.

The reasons for this exhaustion vary, from workers having to constantly switch between digital platforms, devices and other demands, to working long hours at a stretch. These activities are necessities when it comes to paying our bills, progressing in our careers and, yes, doing a whole lot more. Yet they’re not exactly the best indicators of a relaxed mind or soul.

There’s probably a little science behind why we keep going back to the things that made us happy as kids. Our brains are wired to seek pleasure, novelty and reward, and enjoyable activities can activate the brain’s reward systems, reinforcing our desire to experience them again. Childhood memories also carry emotional weight, which is why picking up a comic book, collecting anime figures or swinging a lightsaber around can bring back a familiar sense of excitement.

Research on nostalgia has also found that recalling meaningful memories can strengthen our sense of social connectedness, continuity with our past selves and meaning in life. A 2024 study examining nostalgia across 28 countries and Hong Kong found that recalling nostalgic memories increased social connectedness, self-continuity and meaning in life across cultures.

It’s not necessarily about wanting to be a child again, but about wanting to feel that way again.

Because if you really think about it, a kid swinging a toy katana around the house isn’t thinking about how they look, what people might say or whether they’re being productive. They’re just having fun. An adult, on the other hand, might spend the entire time overthinking whether they look ridiculous.

Somewhere along the way, we learn to monitor ourselves. Our words, our actions, even the things we enjoy become subject to scrutiny. We’re expected to be responsible, set an example, make sensible decisions and generally have our lives together. And while there’s nothing wrong with growing up, constantly having to be the most composed, socially acceptable version of yourself can get exhausting.

Perhaps that’s where the kidult movement comes in. Beyond the anime collections, comic books, gaming consoles and lightsabers, there’s something quietly rebellious about allowing yourself to enjoy things without having to justify them. It’s picking up that lightsaber and going full Obi-Wan Kenobi, not because you’ve forgotten you’re an adult, but because, for a moment, you don’t feel the need to perform adulthood.

Maybe kidulting is less about refusing to grow up and more about refusing to let growing up take everything away. The freedom to be silly, to get excited over something seemingly insignificant, to enjoy something without turning it into a hobby you need to monetise or a skill you need to master. For a little while, it’s about returning to the things that made life feel simple, innocent and fun, before everything had to mean something.

And maybe, sometimes you just want to swing a lightsaber around.

Not everything needs a deeper purpose or to be commercialised. In a world where everything we do has to be productive, profitable or somehow contribute to our personal growth, the need to just do things because they make us happy, feel good and leave us feeling less burdened is okay. In fact, it’s probably a necessity.

So go for that tabletop game you’ve been hesitating to try, because there’s a one-in-five chance you’re going to find a whole community of enthusiastic players who’ll reel you into the game. 

Buy those anime collectibles, the limited-edition Witcher sword, Sauron’s mask, those Beyblades and Pokémon cards. Because the way the market is growing, soon no one will think twice about becoming a super-consumer in the wonderful world of kidulthood.