A
spinner-like gadget called a fidget spinner has become all the rage, not just
amongst the kiddies but also the big kiddies (AKA adults), providing
distraction and spawning a collecting, competitive frenzy world-wide. Who could
have predicted this latest fad and who’s the lucky bastard who bought the
patent?
For
a while now I’ve been noticing these shiny, spinny things in bargain stores
(although in one such store $10 didn’t sound like much of a bargain for a bit
of plastic and metal) and in the hands of school boys and girls at bus stops. I
haven’t really paid them much mind except to assume they are the latest fad in
kids’ toys. Then someone turned up at work with one so I took a closer look.
They are called fidget spinners, the latest craze hitting offices and school
playgrounds. Essentially a small ball-bearing device that is rotated between a
user’s fingers (or balanced on one’s nose as my work colleague demonstrated), a
fidget spinner creates momentum when spun on a body part thus providing a
pleasing sensory experience.
On
a more complex level, the challenge of twirling, tossing and then transferring
to other body parts initially involves friction (the resistance to motion that
occurs when one object moves relative to another) requiring a twisting motion
known as ‘torque’. That’s about as far as my understanding of fidget spinner physics
goes but there are plenty of websites and fidget spinner instructional YouTube
videos across the globe if you wish to know more about how this latest trendy
and seemingly simple product works. There is even an online toy shop in Sydney
called ‘Fidget Spinner Sydney’ – as far as I can see they only sell two
products, both fidget spinners so I suspect someone with an entrepreneurial
persuasion has quickly jumped on the bandwagon.
Further
investigations lead me to learn that fidget spinners were originally designed
and created to help develop fine motor skills in children with autism and other
special educational needs as they have a calming influence, relaxing students
with special needs (along the lines of autism and Asperger’s, and even ADHD)
which keeps their attention and focus, as well as defining motor skills. So
just who designed the fidget spinner and are they now rich, rich, rich? No they
are not and they’re fine with that (personally, I’d be a little irked). The
fidget spinner was invented by Katherine Hettinger in 1997 (she first had ideas
for it in the early 1980s) as a way of distracting wayward kids, promoting
peace and calm behaviour. She did it for all the right reasons, patented it,
then couldn’t afford the patent fee when it expired hence organisations like
Hasbro (who initially rejected it) picked it up suddenly seeing the ‘magic’ in
the low-tech toy. How convenient.
Of
course the jury’s out on the fidget spinner’s value. Some educators deem them a
distraction, some schools ban them whilst Forbes magazine has named them (along
with fidget cubes) the top toys of 2017. Others spruik the fidget spinner’s
learning power; they engage children, particularly those who get restless and
bored as they encourage concentration, co-ordination. BTW a fidget cube is a plastic cube comprised of various buttons and dials for
fidgeting hands. It kinda reminds me of the old Rubik’s Cube circa 1980s
(although it was originally designed in 1974 by a Hungarian sculptor). Fidget
toys can apparently also help wean children off other habits such as nail
biting and thumb sucking. And there are claims they alleviate stress and
anxiety as focus is shifted away from the external and narrowed down into a
single object. This writer played with one at work and was bored after a couple
of minutes whereas my co-worker loves them (she does consider herself a
‘fidgety’ person). Either way, like any fad, fidget cubes will probably pass. I
say bring back the slinky!
