How I Got Radicalized
Stress Balls Are a Sign of Our Overworked Culture
They may seem cute and squishy, but really they’re a byproduct of capitalism gone awry
Welcome to “How I Got Radicalized,” a series from GEN that tells the story of a cultural moment that made you drastically rethink how society works.
I don’t remember the first time I encountered a stress ball, that timeless fidget tool, but I’ll always remember the one that I found in my parents’ basement late last year. It’s sitting beside me as I type, a squishy, blue-green orb the size of a tangerine. As a tireless tchotchke-hoarder kid, these little squishies were my favorite part of any back-to-school welcome package. In high school, they were the prized take-home freebie from stuffy seminars. Even at university, when I could snag one at some campus conference’s swag table and press it between my palm and fingers, their appeal would come whipping back to me.
Even now, at 27 years old, stress balls remain an immense help for managing my workplace anxiety. Instead of idly chewing my cheek or scratching my hairline, I squeeze, first letting all my fingers together sink into the mass, then slowly giving each digit a turn. My nail cuticles, which used to be bloodied and torn on a regular basis, are as tidy…
