Tamagotchis: The famous electronic toys of the 1990s are back

The Tamagotchi, a small electronic egg, very popular in the 1990s, has been invading social networks for several months.

It's an electronic toy shaped like a colorful egg. On top is a screen, and inside is a sort of imaginary little animal that needs to be cared for.

The object was born in Japan in the 1990s. The idea came from Aki Maita, an executive at Bandai, who developed the concept, launched the product, and revolutionized the toy industry by creating a completely new market.

At the same time, the Tamagotchi arrived in France and was a huge hit: stock shortages, endless queues in toy stores, children taking them into schoolyards, etc. Some schools were forced to ban them, considering that Tamagotchis disrupted lessons.

This summer, new Tamagotchis went on sale. Bandai is calling August one of its busiest months since the first Tamagotchis were released nearly 30 years ago.

This comeback is part of a trend. The aesthetic of the 2000s is back in fashion: the return of low-rise jeans, lower back tattoos, and the music of the era.

Nostalgia is reassuring, and the toy industry understands this. It's about giving back a bit of youth to stressed-out thirty-somethings, in an anxiety-inducing political and climatic context. It's a way for a generation in search of direction to replay its adolescence.

Especially since those who were children in the 2000s now have purchasing power.

The same mechanism applies to other old toys and stuffed animals from the era: Chichi, the monkey-shaped comforter, or Diddl, the star mouse from the stationery world who has announced his return.