Fidget spinners: don’t be fooled by this fad
THESE latest schoolyard craze gadgets are supposed to be educational, good for concentration and great for stress relief. Susie O’Brien begs to differ.
Susie O'Brien
Don't miss out on the headlines from Susie O'Brien. Followed categories will be added to My News.
FIRST we had marbles, then yo-yos, then Rubik’s cubes, Tamagotchis, loom bands and now fidget spinners are the latest kids’ craze.
In case you’ve been living in a cave, you may not have come across these silly little spinny things.
They fit in the palm of your hand, are made from plastic or metal, and have three holes that go around very fast.
FIDGET SPINNERS TAKE MELBOURNE BY STORM
Websites tell me basic models start at about $10, while premium spinners can cost more than $90.
But my son bought his online for $1 with $3 postage.
Don’t pay more than $1, people.
They’re supposed to be mildly educational and provide a “sensory experience” but my son’s got one and all it seems good for is occupying him when he’s supposed to be unpacking the dishwasher.
No wonder it’s taken less than two weeks for schools across the ban the useless, annoying little gadgets.
Teachers would be better served looking out for real threats to safety like knives and drugs, but I can understand why they’ve jumped on the spinners.
Spend five minutes with a 13-year- old playing with his fidget spinner when he’s supposed to be learning about the difference between cell walls and cell membranes, and you’ll get it.
Already the spinners are the subject of thousands of videos on YouTube showing people performing tricks. But I have to say I can’t see there’s much skill involved at all.
Funnily enough, they’re supposed to be stress-relieving, but how much stress does a young boy have in his life? And how can something so silly be stress-relieving?
It’s also claimed the spinners help kids focus and improve their attention.
Yeah right, improve their attention on the gadget, but not on anything else.
In the end, I’m forced to conclude this is an utterly useless object that has no benefit, uses no skill and offers no advantage to the user or anyone else.
No doubt they’ll be a huge hit.
AFL locker room lechery reveals lack of respect
The sight of Richmond ruckman Mabior Chol being groped by his teammates was schoolboy locker room lechery. It was also pathetic, weird and we deserve better from our AFL players, writes Susie O’Brien.
Box office classics fail to capture iPhone generation
Movie night seems like the perfect way to get ourselves through stage four. But trying to introduce the iPhone generation to much-loved classics from the ‘80s has been a massive flop, writes Susie O’Brien.