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Bursting the bubble: how gum lost its cool
- imartin2k 5y agohttps://archive.is/2021.07.26-235614/https://www.economist.com/1843/2021/07/26/bursting-the-bubble-how-gum-lost-its-cool https://archive.is/2021.07.26-235614/https://www.economist.c...
- dorkwood 5y ago> Chewing on plastic, or popping it all over your face, doesn’t appeal to youngsters I didn't realize that chewing gum was made of plastic. It seems I've been successfully hoodwinked by the manufacturers who refer to it as "gum base" on the ingredients list.
- xxs 5y agoOne of the classics [0], (how bubble gum stops hydraulic oil leaks. It's gross, actually.) It's quite useful to keep 'em handy home. TLDR; butylene rubber, nitrile [0]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1RYVSmuOmc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1RYVSmuOmc
- geon 5y agoIt is latex; sap from the rubber tree.
- 55555 5y agoThis is disgusting. I naturally assumed gum base was chicle.
- tokai 5y agoWhat makes it disgusting? I'm happy that synthetic polymers are used instead of farmed polymers from the Amazons, with all the hazards for the environment that entails.
- loloquwowndueo 5y agoChicle-producing trees are most commonly found in Central America, not the Amazon forest.
- tonnyyhigh 5y agoI loved gum so much in college) nice article
- aloer 5y agoWhen I went to school we were told gum and chewing helps with blood flow & concentration. What is a good replacement for when you just want to chew on something while working? I can think of tooth picks or pieces of grass like in old movies but I imagine they have their own problems Did people just stop chewing or is there a modern replacement?
- redsummer 5y agoMastica
- pantalaimon 5y agoWhy stop if you enjoy it? There is also organic gum that's not made from plastic if that's your concern.
- yostrovs 5y agoStop by a toy store and watch the children beg to be purchashed the new button pop up fidget toys.
- maccard 5y agoCould always chew tobacco. Bonus points for it being plant based! There couldn't be anything wrong with that! (Please don't...)
- jjoonathan 5y agoOh no. The sugar industry has been having success with the "it's all natural, therefore better than artificial sweetener" angle. That was bad enough. You're right, though. The tobacco industry could try this one too. I hope there isn't enough overlap between potential tobacco chewers and people who go for the "natural => good" line of thinking.
- tokai 5y agoManitou have had great success with the green and natural angle to tobacco selling.
- jgalt212 5y agoWhen I was a young lad, I would always chew gum when going out at night so A. my breath would be fresh and B. the ladies could see my healthy teeth (and then hopefully make assumptions about other healthy parts).
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]
- SirensOfTitan 5y agoI love gum, I consider it my super weapon during talks or interviews: it really reduces my anxiety for some reason (and it prevents dry mouth). Some may consider it a bit rude, but I find it an okay price to pay for how much more composed I tend to be in uncomfortable situations. With that, I started chewing mastic gum recently, and I really love it: I can chew it for seemingly forever without it wearing out, and it really gives my jaw a workout.
- 1MachineElf 5y agoChewing gum has a variety of documented benefits.
- schwartzworld 5y agoMy eldest is very emotional, even by five-year-old standards. She has difficulty dealing with even slightly stressful situations. I remembered a focus group I helped conduct, where gum chewers talked about its stress relieving properties. I taught her to chew gum when she's having a hard time and it worked. She'll get really upset and disappear into her room, coming out a few minutes later with gum in her mouth and a smile on her face.
- daniel-s 5y agoWhat are the consequences of swallowing gum?
- wyrm 5y agoThe consequence is that you poop gum. It doesn't stay in your stomach for a hojillion years, despite what the Old Wives™ say.