The popularity of "eat homework" snacks sparks controversy over food safety and psychological impact

First submission 09-30 22:30

Update time 10-01 06:35

Snacks that “eat homework” and “eat textbooks” may seem novel and interesting, but are they actually safe? (Taken from the Internet)

[Financial Channel/Comprehensive Report] At the beginning of the new semester, a Chinese snack with the gimmick of "eating homework" has quietly become popular among primary and secondary school students in many places across the country. Although it is a snack, it looks exactly like a textbook or test paper. Taking a bite of the "math homework" and chewing the "English textbook" twice has become a way for children to relieve stress.

"Today, you are going to eat something you all hate: homework." This is how China's state broadcaster began a review of a snack made from sticky rice paper. With the start of the new school year in September, the snacks, which are shaped like textbooks, test papers and exercise books, have become popular among primary and secondary school students. They're marketed as novelty stress-reducing foods that offer kids a straightforward way to cope with homework: eat it.

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The price of the products ranges from a few cents to a few dollars per bag, and the weight of a single bag is only a few grams. Many businesses sell it in sets in boxes. So can the color printing of "textbook snacks" be eaten and is it safe? The trend quickly became a hot topic on Chinese social media, with users discussing why they need to eat their homework. Hashtags such as "CCTV exposed the hidden dangers of eating homework" and "Eating homework is harmful to health" have received millions of views on Weibo.

Online reports point out that products marketed as starch products contain excessive amounts of synthetic pigments. Others questioned whether businesses exploited labeling loopholes or used industrial inks.

"Eating homework" and "eating textbooks" may seem novel and interesting, but are they actually safe? What are the food safety risks hidden behind the scenes? Experts warn that parents should not assume the products are safe just because their colors do not come off after rubbing or licking. Long-term ingestion of large amounts of colorings and flavors may put a strain on children's developing livers and kidneys, but these health concerns may be the least dramatic part of the story.

One WeChat comment described the trend as a way for students to vent their emotions under academic pressure. Comments point out that businesses are turning children's frustration with homework into products that can be purchased and consumed. This novel phenomenon may bring temporary relaxation, but critics believe that it does not help solve the stress behind it.

An associate professor of psychology at China University of Political Science and Law described this trend as a behavior of "exchanging money for emotions." Homework is often associated with responsibility and seriousness; eating homework subverts this relationship and makes students feel in control of things that affect their emotions. It can also become a kind of peer "currency": if one child eats the homework, other children will follow suit.

In China, most people don't view this trend as a harmless form of catharsis. Other commentators warn that eating homework as a stress-reducing activity may be counterproductive, exacerbating students' aversion to learning and encouraging a perfunctory attitude toward academics.

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