Opening Pokémon packs is the new vice for younger generations

People deal with stress in all sorts of ways, from indulging in nightcaps to sweating it out at the gym. But with the resurgence in popularity of trading cards, those with disposable income have developed a unique coping strategy: opening Pokémon trading card packs.

“Honestly, I had a terrible day today, so we’re gonna hope this is gonna make me feel better,” a woman on TikTok said with a sigh as she tore open a glossy package.

Another woman on TikTok filmed herself earlier this year, after a flood destroyed her home. In the video, she was opening a coveted Pokémon set that’s nearly impossible to find in a retail store. A single box, which contains nine booster packs of ten cards, can be resold for close to $200.

“What better way to uplift my spirits than by opening some exciting Pokémon packs?” she asked.

“I had a bad day, so I ripped 100 Pokémon packs,” one Redditor wrote, before discovering a card they had hoped for.

“Opening Up Pokémon Packs Until The Pain Goes Away,” reads the title of a YouTube video.

Stories like these have become so common that letting off steam through Pokémon packs has become a communal experience. Rather than venting over happy hour, some collectors rally friends to open Pokémon cards. Failing that, there’s always an audience on social media hoping to see a jackpot.

“Nothing beats cracking open a cold one after a rough day,” one Instagram user wrote, before opening a mini-fridge bursting with Pokémon card boxes. It’s a joke. But the gag is repeated so often, its prevalence suggests a deeper truth: adults are using Pokémon cards to cope with life struggles. Some trading card shops outright market themselves as the answer to stress and existential crisis. “We don’t heal, we just evolve,” declares a video advertising Pokémon cards.

The packs, which contain 10 cards, only have a miniscule chance of containing impressive or valuable collectibles. You have a better chance of getting into Harvard than landing a truly rare card in a single pack. Granted, unlike applying to an Ivy League school, you can try your luck more often with Pokémon packs.

Pokémon fans who save packs for a rainy day like to compare the habit to smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol. In videos, collectors will sneak off into the street, tap their packs, and sniff the cards — much like they might with tobacco. It’s absurd, but it also makes sense. Cigarette smoking rates are tumbling, especially for younger generations. Health concerns around alcohol have also seen drinking rates plunge. Opening a Pokémon pack is comparatively harmless, and potentially cheaper than other vices.

Depending on who you ask, buying Pokémon cards is a vice. The possibility of opening a pack and finding a rare card pulls a similar psychological lever as putting money into a slot machine. The added public excitement around it all — people waiting in line for hours, getting into fights, or committing crimes over Pokémon cards — creates a perpetual fear of missing out.

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For those with poor impulse control, Pokémon cards pose a constant temptation that can drain bank accounts. Yet it’s this same dopamine-trigger quality that allows some people to use Pokémon cards to quit addictions as well. In threads discussing the purchase of cards, it’s not uncommon to see people sharing stories of past struggles with substance abuse.

“I rediscovered that ritualistic aspect I had with cigarettes (goals, progress, rewards, tracking) to overcome the difficult moments,” one Redditor wrote in a thread that attributed his sobriety to Pokémon cards. “It gave me a simple framework when my motivation was at its lowest.”

At the end of the day, a small cardboard picture of Pikachu isn’t going to fill a hole in anyone’s life. It might, however, bring a sense of joy — however fleeting.