Kidding around

When she watched a small, pink piglet disappear into the Hundred Acre Wood in "Piglet's Big Movie," sophomore Cynthia Chavarria knew whom she could count on to save the day — her favorite big-bellied, honey-loving bear, Winnie the Pooh.

"He never gives up," she says. Even when Piglet's friends Eeyore, Tigger and Christopher Robin felt depressed, "Pooh gave them hope."

Chavarria's faith in the lovable cartoon character only scratches the surface of her obsession with the chubby, yellow teddy bear. Chavarria's backpack, bedsheets, wallpaper, slippers, binders and pencils all bear the image of Pooh. She also owns five Pooh stuffed animals and a Pooh piggy bank. Despite her age, Chavarria makes no secret of the fact that she finds the famous childhood icon cute, his smile friendly and his tubby belly adorable.

From collecting comic books, action figures and stuffed animals to watching television shows made for those with single-digit ages, teenage obsessions over childhood figures are not a new phenomenon, says Daniel Anderson, a professor of child psychology at the University of Massachusetts who has helped design such popular cartoons as "Dora the Explorer" and "Blue's Clues." According to the corporation Teen Research Unlimited, America's more than 32 million teens spent over $159 billion in 2005 — a massive market with disposable income ready to be invested in the apparel, entertainment, food and toy industries. Although some of these teens, like Chavarria, say they just like cartoon characters and stuffed animals because they're "cute," many Blazers follow these childhood trends to stay in touch with their youth.

Adoration at first sight

At first glance in the SAC or on Blair Boulevard, they're hard to pick out. But upon closer observation, in between the Ugg boots, designer polos and jeans so common to Blair's crowded hallways, Dora the Explorer, Hello Kitty and the Powerpuff Girls can be spotted peeking out from many a Blazer's backpack. These childhood cartoons are an unusually vibrant addition to the mix of generally dull black and blue Jansports.

Freshman Niasia Harvey's bright pink Hello Kitty backpack, complete with sparkles and flashy stars, proclaims her love for the wide-eyed kitten. She began collecting Hello Kitty paraphernalia in sixth grade, and although her collection now consists of Hello Kitty blankets, curtains, toys, wallpaper, a CD player and a lamp, Harvey feels nothing deeper than simple affection for Hello Kitty.

But freshman Meng Zhai's partiality for stuffed turtles is much more than just fondness. Her obsession began at age five, after her grandmother told her a story about a rabbit and a turtle. Zhai soon began to miss her own stuffed turtle when she left it at home.

So, at age seven, Zhai began to bring David, a tiny stuffed turtle, to school. When she was in seventh grade, she outgrew David and switched to a newer, bigger turtle named Speedo, which she still carries to school every day. To Zhai, Speedo — and his predecessor, David — is more than just a cuddly creature. He is her confidante, her shoulder to cry on, "a friend that I can carry around," she says. "You know how everyone has a guardian angel?" she says. "He's my guardian angel."

While some may think these teens are stuck in the past, unable to move on and grow up, Anderson says they just yearn for a simpler time before the stresses of high school and adolescence took hold. Following childhood trends is "like eating comfort food [and] warm carbohydrates," Anderson says. "It's going back to a time where parents aren't as demanding, everything was simple and not a lot is expected of you."

For freshman Jennifer Collins, collecting and talking to her stuffed animals provide an escape from the daily pressures of high school. With responsibilities steadily increasing and adulthood just around the corner, Collins finds herself wanting to return to childhood. "Who wouldn't want to?" she asks. "You get naps, get fed and if you knew the color red, you'd get an A in your class."

Along with the comfort associated with indulging in childhood trends, Anderson believes that watching cartoons and keeping up with childhood icons may be beneficial to teens. Though the shows he helps design are meant to benefit three- to five-year-olds, Anderson says that their positive values are appropriate for people of all ages. He says that in designing a television show, he makes a genuine effort to have characters who are simple and accepting and who interact with the audience easily.

Chavarria agrees, citing programs like "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh," in which the characters can always turn to Pooh for help. In the case of the missing Piglet, Pooh reminds Tigger, Eeyore, Kanga and Christopher Robin about their mutual bonds of friendship and urges them not to give up the search for the timid little pig. "Even though they're little kid shows, it shows that you can be friendly and be strong," Chavarria says.

Blast to the past

In addition to fostering positive values and bringing back fond memories, following childhood trends allows teenagers to linger in the good old days, says Anderson. Before they reach the end of schooling and enter a new age of exploration, "it's a good time in life to reflect on what happened before," he says.

Though senior Arel Lewis admits a day will probably come when he will have to take down the Spiderman and Venom posters in his bedroom, he still finds it hard to let go of his childhood. He likes superheroes — and their "cooler" counterparts, villains — so much that he hopes to pass his comics and posters down to his children when he gets older. But until then, he wants to cherish the rest of his childhood. "I just don't like growing up," Lewis says. "I want to keep my youth."

Those who are already grown can also benefit from revisiting their childhoods and keeping the age of innocence alive, says freshman Jagpreet Kaur. "When people get older, they don't think about their childhood," she says. "They think, 'It's done,' and so when they look back, they lose all attachment."

So instead of distancing herself from her childhood, Kaur cherishes the time left in her youth. "We should never lose touch with our inner child," she says.

These childhood icons have stood the test of time and have carved a place in the hearts of children and teens worldwide.

• Winnie the Pooh: this lovable yellow bear debuted in 1925 with his friends Christopher Robin, Tigger, Pooh, Kanga, and Eeyore in the short story "Winnie the Pooh" by A.A. Milne
  
• Mickey Mouse: a classic Disney symbol, Mickey Mouse has been around since 1928 with the silent film "Plane Crazy" made by Walt Disney
  
• Elmo: Elmo and his friends on Sesame Street have been a hit with children since 1969 (Elmo debuted on the show in 1979)
  
• Spiderman, Superman and other comic superheroes: action superheroes exploded on the scene with the publications of Spiderman (1962 by Marvel comics) and Superman (1938 by DC Comics)
  
• Hello Kitty: the most successful of character of Japanese company Sanrio was first created in 1974 and has gone on to sweep the hearts of little girls everywhere
  
• Dora the Explorer: a spunky Hispanic adventurer, Dora first aired on Nick Jr. in 2000 and is a positive role model for a new generation of children