Many believe grief does not justify the existence of anomalies, while those who are experiencing it do the most inexplicable things because it is the only thing that helps. Many questions arise when reborn dolls are seen or posted online, but not many do the research to see their positives and negatives.
Reborn dolls are made to resemble human babies as realistically as possible; they are small, usually have accurate weight and look like they are sleeping. At first, they were a gold mine for collectors, a fascinating and hyperrealistic must-have doll for those who admire craftsmanship, however, the market eventually grew to those who used the dolls as emotional tools. Soon, an online community was born.
The online reborn doll community introduced dolls as coping mechanisms for miscarriages, loss of a child, the empty nest period, infertility and other hardships. According to TODAY, Lisa Roberston, a reborn doll collector, created a Facebook parenting group for this community. Collectors are referred to as “reborn doll parents,” while roleplaying as a parent within the community is called “reborn parenting.” The community appears to be supportive, safe and always positive — according to Robertson.
Although many believe the process of parenting reborn dolls is unhealthy and only prolongs grief, psychologists say otherwise. Dr. Katherine Shear, a professor of psychiatry and director of The Center for Prolonged Grief at Columbia University said to TODAY.com, “People tend to think in dichotomous ways, that either something is ‘normal’ or ‘abnormal,’ and ‘healthy’ or ‘unhealthy,’ but life is not like that.” She continued, “Grief and loss stop us cold in our tracks. We have to find a way to accept the loss and the fact that we will probably be grieving the loss forever, but not in the same way over time.”
However, those who sell reborn dolls must be cautious of a dangerous demographic: those who use the dolls for nefarious purposes. Many online users on YouTube and TikTok have shared their fears, concerns and stories regarding reborn dolls being bought by predators. While some may argue that this issue is not detrimental since the dolls are fake, these reborn dolls are still being used as outlets for sick, unethical behavior.
Although performing inappropriate acts with inanimate objects is not illegal, and some say it keeps real children safe, it is still wrong because it further fuels the behavior of these predators. There is no one way to identify these individuals online; however, sellers must be wary when selling reborn dolls — especially those with anatomically correct bodies. Questionnaires, interviews and simple background checks may help to minimize the issue.
The world is a cruel place, and something like reborn dolls — a misjudged and misunderstood concept — can be twisted by those hiding in plain sight. The reborn doll community is not to blame, but this is unfortunately another danger on the long list of things most people do not expect to be abused by predators.
