When we unwrap our parcels, apart from the object inside the box, some of us may be equally excited when seeing the bubble wrap. We simply cannot control the urge to pop the plastic bubbles. Why is it so strangely satisfying?
According to Dr. Stephanie Sarkis, a clinical mental health specialist in ADHD and anxiety in America, “Popping bubble wrap is about pressure and release, very similar to a build-up of stress and then immediate relief from it. Whenever we have a release from pressure, real or simulated, our brain receives a boost of ‘feel-good’ chemicals—dopamine and norepinephrine.”
While more research is needed to burst the bubble of mystery around this phenomenon, there is little harm to pop a few bubbles next time when you get your parcel to see how you feel about it.
