Jeremy Hart played with Hot Wheels as a kid, but he eventually grew out of them, tucking the miniature cars away in a toolbox. Then nostalgia struck when he attended the Hot Wheels convention in California with his son three years ago. “I get these little glimmers and glimpses of memories and feelings when I look and see those Hot Wheels from my childhood,” Hart said. Today, the 48-year-old has fully embraced his inner child.
Adults should be wary, though, if they’re buying dolls as a replacement for making friends in real life. With people experiencing heightened feelings of loneliness, depression and anxiety while spending more time scrolling on their smartphones, it’s chipped away at social connections adults make, she said. “They can't be a substitute for humans,' she said. 'But if these toys become a way to get humans to play with other humans again, I'm all for it.