Fidget Spinners Should Be Banned

Few have not heard of fidget spinners, one of the latest crazes to sweep the nation. These momentum driven, ball bearing operated toys are designed to do exactly as the name suggests; provide an outlet for fidgeting by allowing the user to spin or even perform tricks with the handheld object. However, they have been the source of controversy. The majority of students view fidget spinners as the hottest new fad and see them as nothing more than a toy with which to play, even if this intrudes on classroom time. Because of this, many schools have banned fidget spinners, though not without protest. With around 6.4 million children in the United States being diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactive disorder, or ADHD, many have credited the recent popularity of fidget spinners to bringing awareness to the

benefits of fidgeting (Calfas). Positive results of fidget spinners told in anecdotal stories rather than documented cases are not enough. Fidget spinners are visually, audibly, and environmentally distracting, and because of this they are overall a detriment to classroom environments.
Relief for anxiety and ADHD are a few of the most commonly cited reasons to allow use of fidget spinners in classrooms. Searching Amazon for the toy will return tens of thousands of results, the vast majority of which allude to its ability to relieve stress and improve focus. The idea is that by having something to occupy your hands, it makes it easier to concentrate on the mental task at hand. “The ostensibly scientific benefits to using a fidget spinner have undoubtedly rationalized the decision of countless parents to buy the toy for their children,” and “. . . if an over-active mind can be tempered for the price of a nice lunch, why not give it a whirl?” (Bort). It seems reasonable to hope that this product made readily available by fame can improve focus.
Experts, however, disagree with these claims. “The observations by parents or teachers are interesting but without carefully controlled studies, it’s impossible to draw any sorts of conclusions about whether these [fidget spinners] are useful,” according to ADHD program director at Duke University, Dr. Scott Collins (qtd. in Leister). There are isolated stories of fidget spinners helping to improve focus, but they are typically referenced as being about “a friend of a friend,” with no verified sources. With their explosion in popularity, fidget spinners can be found in the hands of everyone, not just those claiming to use them to relieve energy. Founder of ImpactADHD, Elaine Taylor-Klaus, asserts that, “Fidget spinners are giving fidgets a bad name" (qtd. in Calfas). Use of spinners under the claim of a focusing aid can hurt real fidget toys that are backed up by empirical data. If a teacher bans fidget toys on the basis that fidget spinners are disruptive, it can make it difficult for those using other fidgeting methods to prove that they are using fidget toys to help them focus. People will often only acknowledge the information they have heard rather than taking the time and effort to research the topic themselves.
The effects of fidget spinners in classrooms are distracting and therefore decreasing rather than increasing productivity. Whirring sounds caused by multiple students spinning their toys at once can quickly grow into a roaring cacophony of commotion that draws the focus away from lecture and schoolwork. Stories of schools across the United States banning fidget spinners have spread through social media and news outlets. At one such school, Washington Elementary, the principal had to notify parents of the faculty’s decision to ban fidget spinners, “Explaining the tools [fidget spinners] are a distraction or worse, because they've caused conflict among students” (Thayer). New York Magazine provides an anecdote illustrating the collectible value to young students. Fidget spinners were bought in bulk by a sixth grader named Albert, then sold to his classmates for a small profit. Albert reflects, “When I first saw it, [I said] ‘What’s the point of it?’ But “once I touched it and started playing, it started to be a little addicting” (qtd. in Kirby). Students are not using fidget spinners to get out energy, but rather as a new game, collecting different styles and learning new tricks.
Fidgeting may be beneficial, but not when fidgeting with the toys outweighs the focus that the toys offer to provide.

Scientific American explains that although fidget spinners provide an ulterior subject to focus on, it may be too much of a good thing. The same publication states, “By contrast, putty, stress balls and other therapeutic fidget items don’t have this visual attention problem. They can serve the same purpose as the spinners, but are more classroom-ready and less distracting” (Isbister). Fidget spinners are part of a noisy, disruptive fad that requires more concentration on fidgeting and less on occupying your hands in order to better focus on a lesson that is being taught. Time Magazine references several experts in saying that “silent, unimposing toys” are the most conducive to liberating excess energy and nervousness. Even fidgeting in a chair can help improve test scores according to a 2015 study that compared the test results of those who were required to sit still verses those who fidgeted (Healthday). While the flashy fidget spinner has no evidence to back itself up, experts agree that a purer, simpler fidget is the way to go for better

focus.
Fidgeting can be beneficial to those struggling to direct their focus. When it is to the advantage of the students to make use of an unobtrusive outlet for their extra energy, schools should make every effort in order to support them. Fidget spinners, however, are anything but unobtrusive. The attention required to operate negates any potential claims of improved focus, and their temporary popularity lends to distraction as children compete amongst each other for the brightest, most colorful, or interestingly designed spinners. The proper place for a fidget spinner is after school during a student’s free time. Classrooms are a place for fidgeting, but only when it can be for the individual to focus on the class and not cause the class to focus on the individual.