Fidget Spinners

Listen To The Un-Official Viral "Spinner Beat". WARNING! You Might Get Addicted

Intro

I like to do articles/videos on what I find fascinating. Usually starting with an interest in a certain topic. I already have been doing research into my own interests for years, and have finally started to learn to share my findings. This is one of those topics. I hate to do a job half ass, and dont like to leave out interesting points. Therefore, I have had to split my one topic into a few sub-topics, and articles. This is part 1 of my fidget spinner series. I have at least one full article of findings to be published after this one. And may have to do a third article on this new trend, as long as people appreciate the first three.

Number one: a) Where Did 'The Fidget Spinner' Come From? b) Video Un-boxing with Review/Reaction
Number two: Does it Have REAL Health Benefits or REAL Risks?
Number three: The Controversy Surrounding the Fidget Spinner
Number four? The Inside World of Fidget Spinner Fanatics. (I will work on this one if people request it)

What The Hell Is A Fidget Spinner, What Do they look like?

Whаt аrе fidget spinners? Good question. Thеу’rе simple, weird, a bit tempting to try, and once you do, oddly satisfying, making them nоw very, very рорulаr. The mass desire for the gadgets has created the demand for high-end spinners. There are dual bar spinners like the torque version, then tri-bar spînners like the pearl version, the gold spiked version, and the dragon version below, as well as glow-in the dark, tiedie, light-up, and even bluetooth spinners. They can also have multiple bars, like the octopus version. The more expensive versions are now being made with the highers abec bearings available, for a much longer, and smoother spin. You can find them with up to 5 bearings, like the quad bar version. one in the centre, and one on the end of each bar, allowing them to be used in more ways. People can also find tutorials and instructions to make home-made spinners, if you are on a budget, or just prefer to be creative.
There are even a growing number of people who are getting very skilled at doing Spinner tricks

How Are They Made?

Bаѕiсаllу, thеу arе a simple little dеviсе, mаdе with a ball bеаring at thе сеntrе, placed into a mold, and plastic or metal formed around it, creating two or three rounded blades to grip and use to spin effortlessly between your fingers. 3D printing is now becoming a popular way to produce them as well. Fidget spinners were designed tо hеlр children with аttеntiоn deficit hуреrасtivitу disorder, bоrеdоm, anxiety аnd autism, but turned into a toy later on.

Who, What, Where, and Why Were They First Created?

An Article by The Cristian Post States...
"Even though fidget spinners became popular only this year, the toy first came out in the 1980s, invented by Catherine Hettinger.

Some say Catherine, a chemical engineer, invented the fidget spinner to keep children occupied so that they can refrain from getting into trouble with other kids or police authorities. Hettinger filed a patent application for a "spinning toy" in 1993 and a patent was issued, but she allowed the patent to lapse in 2005 after she could not find a commercial partner, meaning that anybody can now manufacture and sell them without her. " -Source

This is why there are so many brands of the toy. Anyone is free to make their own version now.
Hettinger could have benefited huge from the trend, had she renewed the patent, but told MONEY that she's just excited that the fidget spinners have finally become popular."

According to Wikipedia, Hettinger, was initially credited by some big news outlets to have been the inventor of the fidget spinner, Source -Wikipedia

Since earlier this year, stores have found it difficult to keep fidget spinners on the shelves. Being a stress-relieving toy suitable for all ages, their buyers range from kids to college students to adults

It seems that people don't do research, and just spread what the next guy says, because a May 2017 Bloomberg News article showed that Hettinger was not the inventor of the fidget spinner, and she agreed.

There have been others coming forward, hoping to take credit for its creation.

In an interview published on May 4, 2017 on NPR, Scott McCoskery explains that he invented a metal spinning device in 2014 to cope with his own fidgeting in IT meetings and conference calls. In response to online requests, he called the device Torqbar and began selling it. But I guess this is why you should patent your idea, big or small. You never know what people will do with it.* And the spinners have been a good example of this. Source -Wikipedia

My Experiences and Opinions

"Before I had heard of the fidget spinner in early 2017 I had come across the fidget Cube a few weeks prior. Which many of you have probably seen. When I first saw the fidget spinners, they were selling them at a concert on may 24 weekend. People seek to take advantage of the trend and the anxiousness of citizens and this is seen at almost every event, not just at protests. Which have been said to be using the device to lure people into certain political groups.

In the case of the concerts, they would have seen the marketing opportunity to satisfy the people tweaking on molly and acid. In the case of protests, there is a lot of standing or sitting around, so you can see the obvious need for the toy. It seems like we are a nation with a crisis. A crisis of mass anxiety, tension, fast paced life, and have lost our natural ability to ground ourselves, as well as calming our mind and body through natural processes like meditation. This is what happens when we do not fix the cause of the issue (mostly stemming from pharmaceuticals, world conflict, and the dependence and advancement of technology) and we constantly seek to cover the side effects up through medication, the quick fix, and seem to be trying to normalize anxious behaviors."

I finally bought a spinner, and will un-box it with you to get my first reactions, and let you know if it poses any risk. Also testing if it does what it is supposed to.

It seems there has been an evolution of the toy, with a few people contributing to its success today. Like any good invention, it was created by building upon previous ideas.

Arе They a Fаd?

Mоѕt journalists ѕееm tо think ѕо. Likе Yо-Yо’ѕ Beyblades, Trading Cards or Tech Decks before thеm, аnd more recently water bоttlе fliррing. Fidget spinners are juѕt thе latest Activity, and Must-Have Item tо sweep thе country. Anуоnе remember Pokemon Gо!? Are the trends I mentioned still picking up momentum, or have they faded away over the years?

Why did they go viral?

Fidget spinners seem to be a bit diffеrеnt from most product trends since they have no age limit, they ACTUALLY have health bеnеfitѕ, and a rel-world use. Since they aid with ѕtrеѕѕ, boredom and are great for kids with ADHD аnd other аttеntiоn-bаѕеd disorders, we may see parents, and people who deal with children using them for years to come. They are said to also help you curve bad habits, and behaviors, such as biting your nails, impulse eating, and smoking.

This has been an advantage when it comes to marketing. It has been taken advantage of, and every time you see someone selling the toy, it is described to help with certain behavioral or mental issues. We will look into this deeper, so stay tuned to find out if these claims have any evidence to back them up.

They remind me a bit of the electronic cigarette, or vaping devices, due to their potential to replace negative behaviors.

There has been some scientific research which proves fidgeting with something has a calming effect, and can lead to stress and anxiety relief.

A study found that Doodling as well as fidgeting can also help most people refrain from daydreaming. Source

It Is Not The First Fidget Device

One of the early versions of the fidget toy was a fidget ring. It looks like a normal ring that you wear on your finger. It has an inner band that locks into place. With an outer band that spins freely using your other fingers. It is said to come from Tibetan meditation techniques. The Tibetans called this device a “worry ring” because it was said to have a calming effect on the mind and body. It is the most subtle, and hidden version of a spinner, and if you are banned from using a spinner in class, try using a ring. Usually nobody will even notice it.

The fidget designed by Antsy Labs. can also have the same effects, but it has more options, one for each six sides, such as, buttons, switches, a joystick, gears, and a rolling ball, and rolling disc. It can be for the serious fidget-er, or person with serious ADHD, panic, or anxiety episodes, You can see how switching back and forth through each side, can replace other compulsive behaviors.

Side Note

P.S. I am currently having issues with @cheetah saying I am not citing my sources properly. If you see something I could do to work on this, please let me know. I am working on a post right now to explain why I might have been flagged. The short version is that I paid for some help writing certain topics. (the post about Goldmoney, and motivation, I had help with collecting info) I got screwed over from their negligence. I basically paid for my name to be ruined. (was going to include a full explanation here, but it deserves its own post).

I am doing my best at being honest, and transparent because I would want to know if I were you. Keep in mind, that I have lots of amazing knowledge to share, but am still learning the ropes when it comes to content creation. I always add my knowledge either way. But now, will only rely on learning how to write better myself. And not trusting anybody else to help.
-Sincerely, keithwillshine.

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cheetah (78) 7 years ago (edited)

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