"I Get Anxious Without This"... Keycap Keyrings Become a Must-Have for Millennials & Gen Z, 'Clicking' Everywhere

"Addictive Hand Feel" vs. "Noise in Public Spaces"

A Must-Have Keycap Keyring for Millennials and Gen Z

Keycap Keyrings Spark Divided Opinions Online

In the popular segment "Smile Clinic" of the Coupang Play variety show "SNL Korea," a small keyring held by actress An Jumi is becoming a real-life trend. In the show, An Jumi repeatedly presses a keycap keyring called "Dogaki," displaying an attitude of "I need to press this to feel at ease." What may have seemed like an exaggerated scene on TV has now become a common sight in everyday spaces such as subways, schools, academies, and offices.

In the Coupang Play variety show 'SNL Korea,' the popular segment 'Smile Clinic,' the small keyring held by actress An Jumi is becoming a real-life trend. Coupang Play SNL Korea

On June 16, Yonhap News reported that among Millennials & Gen Z (born in the early 1980s to the early 2000s), "keycap keyrings"—products with keyboard keycaps inside keyrings shaped like chocolate or bread that produce a clicking sound—are gaining popularity. However, there has also been controversy about these items causing inconvenience to others.

Keycap keyrings are products that transform keyboard keycaps and switches into small keychain forms. Many designs resemble chocolates, bread loaves, characters, or game controller buttons. When pressed with a finger, they produce a distinctive "click" or "dogak" sound, similar to typing on a mechanical keyboard, and provide a unique tactile feedback. Because of this sensation and sound, users say, "It feels like rapidly tapping a game console button," or "Pressing it when I'm anxious helps me feel calm."

Keycap keyrings are products that transform keyboard keycaps and switches into small keychain forms. Many designs resemble chocolates, bread loaves, characters, or game controller buttons. SNS

The popularity of keycap keyrings goes beyond simple toy consumption and aligns with the trend of "fidget toys." "Fidgeting" refers to small unconscious body movements that occur when a person is anxious or tense, such as repeatedly clicking a pen or shaking their leg. Fidget toys are products that bring these movements into the palm of your hand. While fidget spinners and stress balls were representative in the past, recently products like keycap keyrings, malrangi, and Wakppubol have taken their place.

Small Comforts Found at Your Fingertips... Fidget Toys for Adults

There is a wide variety of fidget toys trending recently. Malrangi, made from foam or silicone, are released in a broad range of designs, from food shapes like potato bread or dumplings to characters such as ducks or capybaras. They are characterized by their ability to slowly return to their original shape after being squeezed. Wakppubol is a ball-shaped toy that provides sound and sensation when its hard shell is broken, which is part of its appeal.

The popularity of keycap keyrings goes beyond simple toy consumption and aligns with the trend of "fidget toys." Fidgeting refers to small unconscious body movements that occur when a person is anxious or tense, such as repeatedly clicking a pen or shaking their leg. YouTube

Keycap keyrings are different in form from these toys but target the same need. They provide immediate tactile stimulation to the fingertips and relieve tension through repetitive motion. Especially for younger generations accustomed to smartphones and short-form content, this brief but strong tactile sensation is consumed as a kind of "hand feel." Furthermore, collaborations with character brands, the culture of decorating bags, and the trend of expressing individual tastes through keyrings have all combined to make keycap keyrings not just stress-relief tools but also fashion accessories.

High stress levels are also a factor in why adults are so enthusiastic about these toys. According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's National Health Statistics for 2024, the rate of perceived stress was highest among people in their 40s at 35.1%, followed by those in their 30s at 34.7%, and those in their 20s at 30.3%. The main sources of stress were work life and financial issues. As a result, these small toys in the palm of one's hand have become a kind of psychological painkiller for exhausted office workers and students.

The problem is that this "small comfort" can cause discomfort to others in public spaces. While keycap keyrings may provide a sense of security to the user, the repetitive clicking can be heard by those nearby as typing or mouse-clicking sounds. Even small noises can be distracting in quiet places like subway trains, study rooms, classrooms, or offices.

On social media, complaints have surfaced such as, "I can't concentrate at work because someone is clicking a keycap keyring all day," "Whenever I hear a rattling sound on the subway, it always turns out to be a keycap keyring," and "They seem to press it even harder since they can't hear the noise themselves when wearing earphones." In one case, a citizen identified as Ms. A experienced a similar situation on the subway. A female passenger was continuously pressing her keycap keyring like a piano.

When Ms. A gestured for quiet, the other person, along with her companion, responded irritably, asking, "Who are you to tell me not to press it?" and a verbal argument ensued, with both sides pointing fingers. The situation ended when the woman got off the train, but it was an example of how a small toy can escalate into a public dispute.

Concerns About Product Safety and Wrist Pain

Some point out that the controversy over keycap keyrings should not be dismissed as just a passing trend but should be viewed as an issue of public etiquette. When the desire to relieve one's own stress takes precedence, it is easy to overlook the inconvenience caused to others.

Wakppubol is a ball-shaped toy that is popular among Millennials and Gen Z for the sound and sensation it produces when breaking its hard shell. YouTube

There are also concerns about product safety. Some fidget toys, including malrangi, Wakppubol, and keycap keyrings, are manufactured overseas, such as in China, and distributed domestically. In particular, tactile toys like malrangi may contain phthalate-based plasticizers to make the plastic softer, prompting warning labels that advise against putting them in the mouth. Phthalates are known endocrine disruptors, so it is safest to wash your hands after handling these products and before eating food.

Psychological dependence should also be watched for. While fidget toys can help temporarily relieve tension, if they become the only way to manage anxiety or stress, they can reinforce avoidance habits. Instead of developing the ability to recognize and control anxiety, users may come to rely solely on the stimulation provided by the toy in their hand.

Attention should also be paid to physical strain. Repeatedly pressing keycaps can put stress on the finger and wrist joints. In particular, excessive use of the thumb can lead to tendinitis, causing inflammation in the tendons at the base of the thumb. Office workers who use smartphones and keyboards extensively and then use fidget toys like keycap keyrings may become more susceptible to so-called "fidget finger" pain.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.