What Are Fidget Spinners And What Do They Do?
Fidget spinners are a popular gadget that became popular among school-going children in 2017. Evolving from their therapeutic purpose of soothing anxiety and improving concentration among ADHD and autistic children, it became a trendy toy with exquisite designs. Some children began inventing spinning tricks to increase the fun of using the device and you can purchase these from us at We Brand 4 You
These are flat disk-like gadgets designed with centered ball bearings that the user rotates while holding on a finger. They consist of three or more rounded blades that spin at a single flick or twist.
For better visualization, imagine a mini-version of helicopter blades, only that it has three or smaller blades incorporated with ball bearings.
Some come in plastic models, while others have some metallic elements in them. They are lightweight and can easily fit in the pocket of your jeans. This makes it easy for you to carry it anywhere you go and take it out anytime you want to use it.
How to Use it
If you're a beginner, spin the device using one hand for a start. Take the fidget spinner, then hold it vertically using your thumb and index finger. Give the gadget a flick or a push using your middle finger and simply let it spin.
As you continue practicing, you can try applying other spinning tricks as you progress. For example, tossing it from the left hand and back, which is the most common that many people try. It may be difficult at first, but with time, you'll get better.
How Did They Come About?
The idea of the fidget spinner springs back to the year 1993 when Catherine Hettinger came up with a prototype spinning device. When her patent expired, Scott McCoskey picked up the evolution by inventing a spinner to improve focus on work-related activities.
In 2017, the gadget became a craze, gaining attention on social media, local news, and online videos. In no time, the fidget spinner hit the top 20 most purchased products on Amazon.
With time, occupational therapists began using the device to help children with autism and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According to Time Magazine, retailers heavily marketed this device claiming it relieved stress, boosted focus, and improved motor skills in autistic children.
No scientific evidence proves these facts to be true, but experiments conducted on children who used this device while doing an activity showed tremendous results. They had a greater attention span compared to those who did the same activity without fidget spinners.
The device was therefore designed to help autistic children develop good motor skills and maintain focus.
For people with the constant habit of fidgeting something, for instance, clicking pens, shaking legs while sitting, and biting rubbers, among other annoying habits, the spinning movement seemed to soothe their urge to fall into these habits and subsequently evade them.
How Do They Work and What Do They Do?
Fidget spinners apply a simple day-to-day physics principle. Once set to movement by one flick of a finger, the ball bearing, positioned at its centre, allows the "wings" of the device to rotate at high speed with minimum friction. This low friction also makes the three "wings" spin fast for a long period of time.
According to several researchers, the spinning momentum helps in soothing or producing a calming effect on people experiencing anxiety or annoying fidgety behaviours.
By rotating this device, the user enjoys the pleasure of seeing the "wings" spin, thus evading the instinctive fidgeting habit when anxiety kicks in. Moreover, the device also preoccupies the user's mind, thus improving focus or concentration while performing a particular task.
Fidget Spinners in Schools
In 2017, the obsession with fidget spinners soared among 7th graders all the way to high schoolers in the United States. Retailers began selling them in flashy designs and colours, exquisite patterns, lit-up LEDs, and colourful silicone and aluminium parts. As a result, several schools banned their use in classrooms citing visual distraction.
Most teachers found it annoying when children fiddled about with fidget toys while teaching sessions were ongoing. They, however, placed an exception on children with special needs. The latter seemed to benefit from the spinning movement of the wheel and were thus allowed to continue using them but in a controlled school-friendly manner.
What Doctors Think about Fidget Spinners
Several doctors have varying opinions concerning the pros and cons of fidget spinners. Most agree that these devices help in improving the concentration levels of a child.
The dispute only comes in with the flashy designs and colours that retailers sell, which seem to outweigh the benefit of improved focus. The visually appealing aspects seem to divert the child's attention from the teacher to the object.
Its increased use among healthy children has rendered the device a toy rather than a therapeutic tool. Even so, occupational therapists still see fidget spinners as useful gadgets for children with ADHD and autism on the condition that regulations for its proper use are strictly followed.
Safety of Fidget Spinners
Many parents worried about the safety of using spinners after the lead-poisoning-prevention advocate Tamara Rubin tested 11 fidget spinners and found high amounts of lead in two of them.
However, this research was not reviewed or replicated. Therefore, the speculation of the possibility of the toys having high amounts of lead remained unvindicated.
These toys normally come with instructions on their packages, one of which is to keep away from children under the age of three. Toddlers are more likely to try eating them, thus the risk of choking. It's also important to take extra caution when older children play with them since some parts of the spinners can disintegrate.
You can follow safety tips outlined by the Toy Association to keep your kids safe as they play around with the fidget spinners. Also, carefully assess the spinner for any loose or broken parts. If they have LEDs or lightings, read and follow the safety tips outlined in the package.
Fidget spinners are an amazing invention that has greatly helped children with autism and ADHD. They've also helped many adults maintain good focus at work and relieve stress on those suffering from anxiety. As quickly as they rose to fame in 2017, so did they start losing sales in May around the same year.
However, it's still a highly purchased tool to date, mainly because people are still curious enough to experience the alleged benefits. Others buy it for the sheer fun of entertainment.
Many celebrities also used it and enjoyed trying different spinning tricks when it was still trending. Try getting one, then spin it to find out how it really feels, to experience the thrill of the spinning momentum.
