New toy craze keeps some students focused

That small toy that looks like a fan and the head of a shaver has captured the attention of teenagers and adults this past year — and keeps growing in popularity.

Fidget spinners may not seem as popular as online games but it provides variety and some say it effects our motor system in studying.

Catherine Hettinger found inspiration for the fidget spinner in 1980 while she was living in Palestine. She observed the behavior of children in Israel who threw stones at the local police. She wondered how she could change their habit into something more useful. So, she decided to create the new “Spinning De-Stressor Finger Toy.” The Spinning De-Stressor and fidget spinner have the same function, but are not the same in shape and size. The fidget spinner is much smaller and flexible than the Spinning De-Stressor.

“I feel like I found a new hobby after seeing this becoming popular on social media,” said Pierce College student Jayden. Instead of just waiting in the cafetaria for the next class, he’d prefer to play with his fidget spinner. “The fidget spinner is the best toy for killing time and making me be more creative,” he said.

The fidget spinner is more than a toy as it could help students stay more focused while studying, diminish post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety, and help those with autism.

Benefits of fidget spinners was the topic in “Fidget to Focus” by Psychologist Roland Rotz and author Sarah D. Wright. They explained when we fidget, we can create a new feeling to prevent our boredom and the way we fidget can eliminate the negative thoughts that come to our mind.

Allowing this toy in schools has come under debate. As it is considered a toy, the rule is not to allow students to bring fidget spinners to class.

But in some countries, teachers allow students to do so. This is especially true in elementary schools in Asia where many students have difficulty staying focused. Interestingly, for most Asian teachers, it is the best solution to prevent students from watching videos or playing video games during class sessions.

Fidget spinners are not as popular in the United States due to simply cellphones and other technologies offer a variety of features to keep people occupied.  Consequently, fidget spinners may become just a fad as interest fades.