What is a spinner and what is it for? What is a spinner: an anti-stress toy or just a fashion accessory? Why do you need a spinner at all?

To understand what a spinner is, it is enough to know the designation English word spin. Its interpretation is rotation, that is, it is a rotating toy. Simple design wide choose in different price ranges and designs, and even the ability to make it yourself are factors in the increasingly growing popularity of the toy.

A gyroscope or spinner is a device that has one axis and maintains its position constantly.

Spinner device

The spinner is designed in such a way that a light touch of a finger is enough to start it; there are no batteries in the toy.

It consists of several petals with a weighting effect and a bearing located in the center. That is, the bearing is located in the center, and the petals are perpendicular to its axis. The weight of individual parts is selected so as to maintain free rotation of the spinner for as long as possible.

Components of a spinner

1. A cover screwed into the center of the bearing, its purpose is to securely hold the toy during rotation.

2. Frame (housing) - a part that rotates around the central bearing.

3. Bearing – a round ring with balls inside. The balls can be ceramic or metal. Most spinners only have a center bearing. There are models with several bearings, but only the one in the center works; the outer ones are a decorative element.

By the way! When choosing a spinner, pay attention to quality rating bearing – ABEC. The higher it is, the greater the speed and rotation time of the toy.

The duration of rotation is a criterion for choosing a toy, which becomes the main one literally from the first few rotations.

Ardent fans of spinners zealously choose the bearings and materials from which the toy is made, in order to end up with a gadget that can spin for as long as possible.

Why do you need a spinner?

You can safely answer - this is a toy for situations where there is a tedious waiting process or cases that require active brain activity.

A rotating toy can be found in the hands of a person who is in a state of nervousness, waiting for someone or thinking about something. A spinner in this case is a great way to get rid of negative energy, unpleasant thoughts or anxiety. This is a modern alternative to the clicky cap on a ballpoint pen or endless patterns on a sheet of paper.

It’s easy to imagine how earlier, when at school during recess or during free pauses between lessons, students twirled triangles in their hands, placing their index or middle finger in the hole of this geometric figure.

The spinner is a modern analogue of such school entertainment.

The technique of using it is simple - just grab the bearing with the middle or thumb on either hand and spin it, hitting the blades or petals lightly with the fingers on the opposite hand.

After completing certain training sessions, you can gradually eliminate the use of starting rotational movements with the other hand, that is, get used to it and make rotational-translational movements yourself.

The toy is quite convenient to rotate compared to other objects, which is natural, because it was invented specifically for this purpose. When developing, the creators and designers took into account all the technological nuances and psychological factor, triggered in situations where a spinner can be used. External attractiveness, and often exclusive design, the product is a factor in attracting the attention of others, a way to increase the popularity of the owner of the spinner.

Types of spinners

The modern product line includes:

1. Single. The spinner, consisting of a bearing and a frame-bar, is the most compact. However, despite the size, individual models capable of rotating for 4-5 minutes.

2. Three-spinner. The most popular spinner variation. The design consists of a central bearing and three petals. There are models where, in addition to the central bearing, there are additional ones built into each of the petals. Their presence affects the balancing and weight of the product. Materials for making three-spinners: plastic, metal, less often wood and leather.

3. Quad spinner. The design is four petals assembled around a bearing. Advantages over three-spinners are greater stability and smoothness during rotation. Relative disadvantages – larger size and weight.

4. Spinner wheel. The complete absence of petals and the presence of an additional circle made this product look like a bicycle wheel.

5. Exotic spinner. The petals of such products are made in such variations that it is difficult to classify them as tri- or quad-spinners. They can be rounded, asymmetrical, have built-in movable elements and similar attributes. Most of these models are not designed for the average user. This is evidenced by the uniqueness and diversity of design, as well as the materials used for their production - zirconium, Damascus steel, mokume-gane and others.

We should also highlight the spinner, the body of which is printed using a 3D printer. The number and design of petals can be any. The assembly time for such a product is within one and a half hours. On social networks you can find more than one group where there are not only those who want to make a spinner using their own equipment, but also diagrams and drawings for creating such toys.

Benefits of using the toy

Speaking about the benefits of the product, it is worth highlighting the physiological and psychotherapeutic aspects.

Benefits for the body

1. Development fine motor skills hands Very relevant for teenagers.

2. Promoting the development of hands and fingers. This factor should be taken into account by those who have suffered a hand injury accompanied by prolonged immobilization (presence of a plaster cast).

Psychological and psychotherapeutic aspects

1. Relieve stress, normalize mental state.

2. Help in the process of getting rid of bad habits.

3. A factor of better concentration, the ability to quickly find the necessary solutions to a problem.

Using a toy chosen taking into account personal preferences has a positive effect on the owner’s mood and the perception of him by others.

Harm from using a spinner

The main thing that can be dangerous about a spinner is the possibility of injuring your fingers when spinning.

The reason is poor quality materials and insufficient uniformity of the toy’s surface.

You can eliminate this factor at the purchase stage by carefully choosing a toy.

During use, you should also check the product for roughness and other micro damage.

Buying a spinner, what to look for

1. Appearance products. A spinner is not only a cure for stress, it is an opportunity to express yourself and your individuality. Moreover, today the choice of toys is very large.

2. Vibration when rotating. All spinners vibrate and make a sound. Its volume varies and depends on the material of the bearing and the product, its weight, and maximum rotation speed. If you are not a fan of excessive noise, give up metal toys and consider ceramics.

3. Ergonomics of the product. The spinner should not cause inconvenience. Each person's hands are unique. Some people can easily spin a massive metal spinner, while for others the ideal option is a light wooden toy.

4. Cost. Spinners prices start at $5. Cheaper ones are, as a rule, Chinese assembled, made on 3D printers. Those wishing to purchase a product made from high-quality materials or with a unique design should consider models starting at $60.

5. Bearings.

The most commonly used bearings in spinners are 508, 608 and r188. The latter has the highest ABEC rating.

Steel - this bearing requires minimal attention and is easy to maintain; it is installed on most models.

Ceramic – Ceramic balls located inside the bearing promote smooth rotation with reduced vibration and noise. The cost of a spinner with a ceramic bearing will be more expensive than a similar product with a steel one.

Hybrids are bearings that use both steel and metal balls.

Where to buy a spinner

1. Online stores, including large online hypermarkets.

2. Trading platforms for aliexpress.

3. Vape shops. The presence of fidget spinners in such stores is no coincidence, because they are an excellent way to get rid of the craving for smoking.

How to make a spinner with your own hands

It turns out that making a pinwheel yourself is not at all difficult.

So, the spinner consists of a body, a bearing placed in the center and a plug. The most important link is the bearing; the operation of this toy or the quality and positiveness of rotational movements depends on it. It is also necessary to provide 2 plugs to ensure closing of free holes.

Paper version of the spinner.

The most optimal materials for making this interesting thing can be called paper or cardboard. When using paper, you need to prepare 4 bearings, a stationery knife and glue. Initially, you need to decide on the size and make a drawing. After drawing the sketch on paper, cut out the potential spinner, and carefully cut the holes for installing the bearings using small scissors.

By the way, nail scissors are perfect for painstaking work on a paper spinner.

It is important to make the diameter slightly smaller than the diameter of the bearing itself. This is necessary so that when installing the element, it fits tightly enough to avoid falling out during rotation. In order to perform gluing you will need a large number of glue to create a certain strength. After the work is done, you can paint the homemade product in any color. The embodiment of a product made of paper or cardboard is the most affordable way making toys.

Wooden spinner.

For those who like to work with wood using jigsaws or drills, it is proposed to make a spinner from wood - an environmentally friendly, harmless material. The wooden product is pleasant to the touch and beautiful.

Stages:

1. First you need to select the material.
The main criterion when choosing is strength.
For beginners, you can also use plywood, since when working with pure wood you need experience in carrying out such work.

2. Preparing a sketch. You can print it from online resources or make it yourself.

4. Sanding. After the spinner blank is ready, you should grind it using sandpaper. This is done in order to prevent injury to the hands or damage to the skin from the splinter.

5. It is best to drill the hole for the bearings. It is important to take into account that drilling a hole should initially be done from one side to the middle of the thickness of the wood, and then from the other side. This is the only way to get good result. The thickness of the wooden layer should be the same dimensions as the thickness of the bearing. If the thickness of the plywood sheet is slightly higher, then it should be sanded to ensure evenness.

Spinner made from caps.

How to make a spinner without a bearing? The simplest and most affordable way to make a spinner with your own hands without using a bearing is a spinner made from caps from plastic bottles. To do this, you need to take only three lids and glue the sides together with instant glue. The result is a matryoshka doll consisting of three identical parts.

Next, it is enough to drill the middle part so that the rod from ballpoint pen. Then take the rod without the paste contained in it and cut off a piece of about 3 cm, then place it in the previously drilled hole. The spinner is ready.

Now, holding the rod on both sides with your thumb and middle finger, you can make rotational movements.

Lego spinner.

To always have an anti-stress toy at home, you can make it yourself, using parts from children's construction set Lego. It is lightweight and this invention lasts longer.

To make it, just take three round parts from the construction set and glue them together with their end sides, similar to a product made from plastic bottle caps. Only in this case it is not necessary to insert a piece of ball paste rod into the middle; it will rotate just fine just like that.

Spinner tricks

In addition to simply rotating the toy, you can try transferring the spinner from one hand to the other, or moving it between your fingers.

A more difficult option is tossing and intercepting the spinner while spinning.

Spin gurus are able to juggle two or more spinners at the same time.

So, having finished with the theory, it’s worth trying to see how the spinner is right for you. Perhaps, after just a few training sessions, you will be able to perform the tricks described above.

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Spinner is new anti-stress toy, which flooded offices, school classrooms, university auditoriums and public transport. General obsession with unusual fun comparable to the once forgotten Tamagotchi, Tetris and yo-yo. Children and teenagers are spinning the spinner with the same enthusiasm as they were catching Pokemon a few months ago.

Like any newfangled thing, this gadget has many opponents who claim that it is not only useless, but also dangerous. Editorial "So simple!" figured out why the spinner was ranked harmful toys.

What is a spinner for?

A spinner, or in the original, a Fidget Spinner, is a small symmetrical object with a bearing in the center. One press on the bearing puts the toy into action and it begins to rotate around its axis.

Is a spinner good for children?

Research has shown that repetitive activities help children with attention deficit disorder concentrate. You can click with a pen, draw in the margins, or you can spin the spinner - the effect is about the same.

What's unusual

If we consider the design itself, it is a piece of plastic or metal with a bearing in the center. Its main advantage is its compactness. Therefore, you can take this toy anywhere: school, travel, office.

Parents are sounding the alarm

The popularity of the spinner is starting to work against the gadget. The main opponents of the toy were teachers. They claim that students are so caught up in spinning, flipping and performing tricks that they are unable to concentrate in class.

Moreover, these gadgets can be deadly for children. This was told by Kelly Joyek from Texas, whose daughter almost died after accidentally swallowing a small part from a fidget spinner. It was only possible to remove it through surgery. The woman spoke about this on her page on social networks to warn her parents.

Experts say fidget spinners are not suitable for children under 8 years old. And if parents still decide to give their child a turntable, then they should be careful. After all, due to children's curiosity and carelessness, even innocent fun can turn into injury.

The spring-summer of 2017 marks a real peak in the popularity of a children's rotating toy, known as a “spinner” or “fidget spinner”. The magazine Pravoslavie.fm tried to figure out what kind of gadget this is, how safe it is for children and whether it really has a therapeutic effect on certain types of diseases.

Spinner is...

A spinner is a spinning toy held with your fingers. In the center of the spinner there is a metal or ceramic bearing, several blades/wings or weights are located radially, which are selected in such a way as to maintain the rotation of the mechanism for as long as possible. The toy is made from various materials– brass, stainless steel, titanium, copper, plastic, wood, etc. Bearing material and design influence the duration of rotation and the type of vibration and noise produced, creating sensory feedback.

Typically, spinners have a three-petal shape with a bearing and finger holders in its central part, but there are also bi-spinners, uni-spinners and other mechanisms of the most different forms and colors, and other variations of this toy, for example, mechanisms with luminous or noisy petals when rotating.

A standard spinner is shown well in this video:

Origin of spinners

There are several versions of the origin of the toy, which agree only on the timing of its appearance - the early 1990s and the approximate place of invention - the territory of the United States.

The first version says that the spinner was the collective invention of a group of American teachers working with children suffering from a number of mental disorders, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, who were looking for a way to increase their concentration and help them calm down.

The second version was published in the spring of 2017 in mastodon publications such as The Guardian, New York Times and New York Post. In them, the authorship of the toy was attributed to the American Katherine Hettinger, a chemical engineer by training, who invented and patented the “device round shape made of soft plastic, with a flared center for finger grip and a rim.”

Mrs. Hettinger herself did not insist on her authorship, and attributed the idea of ​​the invention to various sources: either the desire to reduce the aggressiveness of street boys seen in Israel, or the desire to entertain her daughter suffering from pathological muscle fatigue syndrome.

Finally, another version attributes the creation of the spinner to the American Scott McCoskery, who created a spinning device to cope with anxiety during important negotiations.

Once upon a time in the USSR...

An effect similar to that of spinners was noticed in the Soviet Union during the Great Patriotic War, reports AiF correspondent in Omsk and blogger Vadim Andreev in one of my posts in VK: “In the army, I was once in a hospital and in this Ufa institution for soldiers, a drunken doctor worked as a janitor. I remember that his name was Edgrad. He was old, smoked a pipe and had simply encyclopedic knowledge in almost all areas. And, most importantly, he was a great storyteller. wonderful stories, of which he had an incredible amount.

One day, we were moving small boxes on the street - in the hospital, all those recovering and mildly ill were working. And from one box, through a gap created by careless unloading, bearings fell out. Edgard took one of them, put it on his finger and twirled it. And the story followed how his teacher at the Moscow Medical Institute, a front-line doctor with extensive experience, participated in the evacuation of a psychiatric hospital at the beginning of the war from somewhere from Ukraine to the East.

Clearly, war. Everything around is roaring, the Germans are already nearby and planes are ironing out the retreating almost every five minutes. Psychos are afraid, they cling to everything and it is impossible to get them out. And then the doctor-teacher saw a box left in a hurry by someone. Which contained the bearings. And so he quickly distributed the bearings to the mentally ill, put them on their fingers and showed them how to twist them. Mentally ill people were simply mesmerized by the action and easily allowed themselves to be led and put into cars.

Edgard said that his teacher, the same doctor, subsequently described this experiment in a scientific paper, showing that idiots need to close, loop their consciousness in some cases, so that the head does not give birth to other thoughts that lead to unexpected actions.

And now I’m walking along the streets and I see these same “bewitching” spinners in the hands of almost all the children. I remember that story with the distraction of idiots. And somehow I don’t feel at ease...”

Spinner popularity

Despite the fact that spinners were invented about 25 years ago, they did not become particularly widespread and popular until the beginning of 2017, when the demand for them increased by several orders of magnitude, which indicates the artificial promotion of the mechanism to the masses and a very skillfully conducted marketing campaign.

Assumptions about the artificial “promotion” of the toy are confirmed by objective data: December 23, 2016, James Plafk from Forbes, in which he called fidget spinners “a must-have office toy in 2017.” At the end of March, video hosting users YouTube began to upload videos in which they performed tricks with spinners, and also discussed possible uses of this device, related everyday situations and the harm or benefit of spinners.

At the same time, The Boston Globe reported that spinners had “entered the mainstream,” and according to Money magazine, the popularity of spinners grew even more significantly in April 2017, judging by user requests to search engines. Also on Amazon various models spinners took all the places in the list of the 20 best-selling toys.

In May-June 2017, the spinner epidemic moved to Russian media, as well as to Russian-language segments of social networks and search engines. During May and June 2017, 3,000,000 requests for the word “spinner” were received from Russian users of the AliExpress online store alone. Representatives of the trading giant reported that the number of spinners sold in Russia made the Russian Federation the second largest market in the world after the United States. Indeed, spinners can increasingly be seen on the street among both children and older people.

Therapeutic benefit or marketing gimmick?

Many toy trading companies position spinners as a toy that has a therapeutic effect for children suffering from a number of diseases. It is noted that fidget spinners can help concentrate attention for autistic children or children with hyperactivity disorder and attention deficit disorder. Some studies have shown that repetitive activities help children with attention deficit disorder concentrate. You can click the handle, or you can spin the spinner and irritating factors will fade into the background.

Many sellers and the media focus on the possible positive effect that spinners have on the development of fine motor skills of fingers and coordination of movements (when performing tricks with a toy), as well as the calming and distracting effect of the mechanism for irritable and seriously ill children or children with disabilities.

Opponents of the toy are already calling these messages “sly marketing moves” and give examples of situations where children swallowed parts of a toy, suffered from poisoning or various forms skin irritation upon contact with spinners made of low-quality and harmful materials, or even attacked peers with a toy (in the USA), attaching blades and other sharp objects to the petals of the spinner.

In Russia, Rospotrebnadzor has already begun checking the influence of toys on the health of children, and also recommended that parents not purchase spinners in unspecified places and do not buy them secondhand, and also pay attention to the material from which the toy is made, which may not meet mandatory safety requirements, especially when purchased through foreign online stores, reports Gazeta.ru.

Experts say fidget spinners are not suitable for children under 8 years old. And if parents still decide to give their child a fidget spinner, then careful observation of their leisure time is the main condition for safety, since inquisitive children’s minds tend to come up with the most non-standard uses for everyday objects for adults.

Expert opinion

The opinion of the involved experts regarding new toy divided. While some talk about possible harmful consequences from using the toy, such as distraction from lessons or possible Negative consequences at non-standard use, others, like the device manufacturers, note a beneficial developmental and calming effect.

U.S. News & World Report quotes the opinions of two occupational therapists interviewed by WTOP-FM, Katherine Ross-Keller and Steven Poss. According to Ross-Keller, “Fidget spinners are great tools for children who need them, but only when the child follows the fundamental rules set by the teacher.” Stephen Poss disagrees with his colleague: “In my opinion and the opinion of the teachers with whom I spoke, fidget spinners are just toys... Anti-stress devices should allow you to focus attention on the teacher. Fidget spinners are visually distracting, and I think that’s their main drawback.”

Olga Serebrovskaya, Deputy Chief Physician of the Speech Pathology Center, provided an expert opinion for TVzvezda.ru: “I think that a toy should, first of all, have a developmental function. And any thing that is given to a child and does not develop him, and perhaps has the exact opposite effect, is, of course, harmful. These kinds of toys, when a child monotonously performs the same actions for hours, can lead to certain changes, even changes in the state of consciousness. This is very harmful for the child’s psyche, and therefore I believe that such toys should be banned not only as having no developmental potential, but also as potentially dangerous for the development of the child’s psyche.”

Dean of the Faculty of Psychology of TI(f) MSEU, Candidate of Psychological Sciences, Associate Professor Tatyana Popkova shared her assessment with readers of tvernews.ru: “At the moment we are seeing the total dominance of these toys various forms. From a psychological perspective, in my opinion, this toy has no developmental or therapeutic effect for mentally healthy children and adults. If, of course, a child spins a spinner on his leg, head or nose, then, of course, in this case we can talk about the development of coordination, that is, these are some kind of tricks, physical exercises.

You should not believe publications that claim that fidget spinners have any anti-stress effect. These are just advertising moves by PR managers to stimulate sales growth. In our country, similar mass crazes for similar toys periodically occur: Tamagotchis, plastic springs, various gadgets, etc. Yes, there is no particular benefit from them, but there is no harm either.

Sometimes, to calm down, a child may finger some beads, pieces, or twirl something in his hands. This is an indirect replacement for a neurotic state; it can even become entrenched as an obsessive action. ...In such a situation, you can spin the spinner, but you need to understand that through manipulation, fine motor skills, the internal state is simply reflected, it is, as it were, projected onto an external object. But this does not solve the problem at the root - neurosis will not go away. So you shouldn’t expect miracles from spinners that a problem child will become calm.”

Expert opinion from Pravoslavie.fm magazine

Priest Rodion Petrikov , a full-time cleric of the Intercession Cathedral in Krasnoyarsk and a psychologist-consultant of the department for the prevention and rehabilitation of addictions of the Krasnoyarsk diocese, sees something artificial in the company against spinners, and considers the toy itself rather useful: “There has been some kind of incomprehensible excitement regarding spinners... My children play with spinners and I don’t see anything like that here.

At the same time, I have a boy with whom I work, and he suffers from meningoencephalitis. He can barely walk, can barely move his arms, he has contractures in both arms. Moreover, he has nine spinners. He does them regularly and, as I can see, it simply develops his fine motor skills.

In my opinion, there is nothing bad here, at least I didn’t notice. This can be somewhat addictive, because a person has a craving to play constantly, but I think that for children under the age of twelve or thirteen this does not pose anything dangerous. This is the best alternative to tablets with which a person does not move anything at all, only with his eyes... Therefore, I don’t see anything wrong here.”

Nikita Sergeevich Yanochkin , a clinical psychologist at the Novosibirsk Regional Clinical Narcological Dispensary, does not see any particular positive effect in fidget spinners, but also does not note any serious negative ones: “As far as I know, to date there have been no serious scientific studies that using a fidget spinner helps fight stress or increases concentration, as stated by sellers of fashionable toys around the world.

To be fair, it should be said that when a person twists and twirls something in his hands, it calms him down a little, but this effect is only short-term. In my opinion, the impact of a spinner on a child’s psyche is akin to the impact of the well-known Soviet time spinning tops. A slight hypnotic effect is possible, but nothing more. I am sure that the fashion for spinners will soon disappear as quickly as it appeared.”

To summarize what has been said

As you can see, expert assessments vary. There are opinions both for and against the “spinner”. But in essence, a spinner is too simple a device to be harmful. A spinner is just a toy... An ordinary toy, without a double bottom or harmful intentions. Next , quite innocenta hobby for children and youth, which can sometimes even be useful.

Of course, you should ensure that you use the device correctly, because you can injure yourself with anything, even a plate, slipper or light bulb. And on the quality of the toy caring parents also worth paying attention attention. But the appearance of a spinner should definitely not cause panic in a child.

Andrey Szegeda

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After the advent of smartphones with unlimited communication and Internet surfing capabilities, addiction to gadgets began to seem invincible. But only until spinners appeared.

These iconic toys have managed to win the attention of not only children who are greedy for new items. Adults are happy to buy spinning gizmos that relieve stress and come up with all sorts of tricks using them. At the same time, doctors are sounding the alarm - they believe that fidget spinners can cause irreparable harm to health!

What is a spinner?

The full name of the spinner sounds nothing more than fidget spinner, which translated into Russian means “toy for the fidgety.” It was invented by US resident Katherine Hettiger, whose daughter suffers from a rare form of muscle fatigue. To alleviate the girl’s suffering, the mother created a mini-simulator that works on the principle of a gyroscope. Katherine rightly reasoned that children are constantly fiddling with something in their hands, so this is the kind of toy her daughter needs. It is not difficult to activate the spinner: holding the core of the toy with the bearing with two fingers, you need to spin its outer part. Thanks to the balanced device, the spinner rotates for at least two minutes.

The toy created by Katherine helped her daughter cope with the symptoms of the disease. The girls' friends saw her unusual toy self made and wanted the same ones for themselves. So the spinner began to take over America, and later the news of the new entertainment reached Europe. Today, 17 out of 20 toys purchased at Amazon and Ebay auctions are all kinds of spinners.

Is a spinner really useful?

The success of spinners was unexpected not only for Katherine herself: it seemed to world-famous toy manufacturers that modern children were interested in high-tech innovations. Perhaps this is precisely the secret of the spinner’s popularity: its simple design does not require significant expenditure of mental energy. The start of the deafening popularity of the toy was given by Forbes journalists: in interviews with them, Wall Street brokers said that they consider having a spinner in the office to be a way to achieve success.

Psychologists, unable to recognize the signs of an impending “spinner fever,” came out in support of the toy. The best glossy magazines in the USA and Europe simultaneously published articles about its effect on the human body. Were given purely positive characteristics: getting rid of panic attacks and feelings of anxiety, increasing concentration and developing fine motor skills. Spinners have been officially recognized as a means of combating bad habits like smoking, biting your nails, or snapping your fingers. They began to be recommended to children with hyperactivity and perception problems as a way to gain control over their emotions. There have even been rave reviews on the Internet that some people have overcome their fear of flying with the help of spinners.

The deadly danger of spinner toys

Very soon, doctors had to regret their praise for spinners. Schoolchildren and adults stopped working and studying, but spent all their free time with a spinning toy. From a developmental gadget, it turned into a “time killer” that could be spent usefully – for example, playing sports or writing an annual report.

Teachers in US schools have noticed that students react aggressively to attempts to take away fidget spinners, at least for the duration of lessons. Because of them, some attacked teachers, threatened them with murder and assault - this is how addiction to toys manifested itself. Teachers are seeking a legislative ban on the use of fidget spinners in school: already in 40% of states, anyone who brings one to class faces immediate expulsion.

But conflicts with teachers and disobedience in class can be considered the most insignificant consequences of using a toy. Since its main consumers are still children, for them the spinner device itself already poses a danger: small parts from it can get into the respiratory tract or nasopharynx, and the spinner itself easily slips out of the fingers and damages the skin or mucous membrane of the eye with its sharp edges. The human brain is designed in such a way that it is not able to constantly concentrate on one subject: sooner or later the attention will decrease - and then the spinner turns into a dangerous weapon.

How did the accidents caused by the spinner end?

Spinner tricks don't always result in minor injuries. They can cause serious health problems that will be difficult to get rid of. Kelly Joyek from Texas told reporters a few weeks ago how her daughter almost lost her life because of a fidget spinner her mother bought. A 10-year-old girl named Britton used it to relieve stress after attending an intensive swimming class. On that ill-fated day, she was driving from training in the back seat of her mother’s car. Kelly heard muffled choking sounds and turned around: her daughter could not speak, but was pointing her finger at her throat.

Fortunately, the woman managed to take the child to the hospital, where doctors removed the part from the turntable, the size of a small coin. Britton faces a long period of rehabilitation and it is not yet known whether her speech function will be restored.

Spinnermania reached Cyprus, where Limassol resident Haara Antoniou published in social network post about how her daughter became disabled because of playing with a fidget spinner. The girl wanted to record a video with tricks to post it on the Internet. She lay down on the bed and began to spin the spinner, from which a part separated and fell straight into her mouth. Instinctively, the child made a swallowing movement and a piece of plastic fell into the stomach. It is located next to large blood vessels, so it is impossible to pull it out. Doctors monitor the girl’s condition every day: they are not sure that they will ever be able to rid her of the foreign body.

Increasingly, negative reviews are appearing on the Internet about fidget spinners that provoke attacks of allergies and bronchial asthma in children. Scientists were able to find an explanation for this: all spinners contain lead compounds that have a toxic effect on the human body. It turns out that people themselves are happy to acquire a “top” that is slowly but surely destroying their health.

To relieve tension. Despite the fact that this toy was invented back in the 1990s, the fidget spinner only became popular in 2017.

A typical fidget spinner has a small bearing in the center with plastic parts attached to it (there are options where these parts are made of another material, such as brass, stainless steel, titanium or copper).

The bearing can be made of ceramic, metal (stainless steel or chrome), or a mixed design.

The material from which the toy is made determines its rotation time, vibration and noise, and this, in turn, affects tactile sensations.

As a rule, a fidget spinner has three beams, but there are varieties with two and four beams. There are models in which another bearing is built into each beam, which allows you to rotate the toy not only around its central part.

How does a spinner work?

To use the toy, you need to hold it with your fingers by the inner part, which remains motionless, and begin to unwind the outer part.

Photo of spinner toy

Spinner toy (video)

Spinner toy: why did it become popular?

According to the latest data, the popularity of the toy is so great that it has surpassed US President Donald Trump in Google searches. In addition, in the list of the 20 most popular products on Amazon, it ranks 15th.

The toy is being touted as a tool that can help fussy people, especially those who suffer from autism, anxiety and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. It acts as a calming mechanism for nervous system or mental stress.

But experts are divided in opinion. Some support the statements of the creators of the toy, while others believe that the toy, on the contrary, can only distract people.

Fidget spinner: benefits and harm

Many psychologists say yes.

Not everyone can sit quietly in one place, so a fidget spinner really helps in this case.

According to research, in order for people to concentrate better, they need a stimulus. This is why some people like to work in complete silence, while others need music. And that is why the fidget spinner helps some and hinders others.

Since marketers presented the spinner as a toy that was good for health, many schoolchildren began to play with it, which led to the ban of this toy in many schools. The argument for the ban was the statement that the fidget spinner distracts children.

However, there were also schools that encouraged the hidden use of the toy during lessons, believing that it helped students concentrate.

For children who have problems with attention, a fidget spinner can help. Moreover, therapists have been using similar devices for a long time, they are just not as popular or colorful.

And yet, banning the use of fidget spinners in classrooms can be considered correct, despite their benefits. The fact is that when they rotate, they create noise that distracts other children and the teacher.

But what to do with those who simply need such a toy?

There are several alternatives that are quiet. For example, you can use a toy such as hand chewing gum or a stress ball to help you concentrate. Moreover, these toys do not require attention, which means that the student can concentrate on what the teacher says and shows.

Well, spinners can be used at home or on the street in your free time from school and work.

History of the anti-stress fidget spinner toy

The creator of the fidget spinner is considered to be chemical engineer Katherine Hettinger, an inventor from Florida, USA. Publications such as The Guardian, The New York Times, and the New York Post think so. She first created this toy in 1993.

According to her, quoted by The Guardian, the toy appeared in the summer when she really wanted to play with her daughter, but she could not do this because of myasthenia gravis, a disease that causes a person’s muscles to tire very quickly. By creating a spinner, she was able to keep her daughter occupied.

But in the New York Post, she outlined a different version of the idea for creating a toy. The publisher writes that Hattinger decided to create such a toy after she saw boys throwing stones at police in Israel. She wanted to create a toy that would help children release their energy.

Later, the inventor was able to sell several thousand spinners, and finally, in 1999, she patented the toy. However, everything stopped there. Popular toy manufacturers refused to release her invention. After 6 years, the patent expired, and there was not enough money to renew it.

For several years, various companies have produced fidget spinners, promoting them as therapeutic devices for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, those who struggle with anxiety, and children with autism. Despite this commercial move, until 2016 the toy remained unknown to most people.

What's true and what's not?

The inventor herself admits that her toy was different from the spinners that are sold today, and she did not claim that she was the inventor of this toy.