So people fine-tune their environments to get things just right: for example, putting on headphones in a noisy office environment to substitute less distracting noise.Ī person who can’t get up and walk around to wake up a bit, or go have a nice cup of tea to calm down, may find it helpful to use a fidget item to get in the right frame of mind to stay focused and calm while staying put. The optimal level of stimulation (or lack thereof) not only varies among people but even can change for one person throughout the day depending upon what he or she is trying to do. Some people like total quiet to help them focus, while others are happiest working in a busy, noisy environment. Different people function well under different circumstances. Psychology research about sensation seeking tells us that people often seek to adjust their experiences and their environments so that they provide just the right level of stimulation.
But people also buy specialized items like a fidget spinner or a Fidget Cube for this purpose.Īnother common thread involves people using some fidget objects – like a favorite smooth stone – to calm themselves down, helping them achieve a more relaxed, contemplative, even mindful state. Many examples people have told us about are ready-to-hand objects like paper clips, USB thumb drives, headphone earbuds and sticky tape. One thing people often report is that fidgeting with an object in the hand helps them to stay focused when doing a long task or sitting still and attentive in a long meeting. (We’re compiling their answers online and welcome additional contributions.) As part of our work, we’ve asked people what items they like to fidget with and how and when they use them. If you’ve ever clicked a ballpoint pen again and again, you’ve used a fidget item. Understanding fidgetingįidgeting didn’t start with the spinner craze. Despite sometimes being an annoying distraction for others, fidget items can have some practical uses for adults our inquiry into their usefulness for children is underway. What we found tells us that these items are not a fad that will soon disappear. My research group has taken a deep look at how people use fidget items over the last several years. Meanwhile, the Kickstarter online fundraising campaign for the Fidget Cube – another popular fidget toy in 2017 – raised an astounding US$6.4 million, and can be seen on the desks of hipsters and techies across the globe. And experts challenge the idea that spinners are good for conditions like ADHD and anxiety.
Kids and parents are even making them for themselves using 3D printers and other more homespun crafting techniques.īut some teachers are banning them from classrooms.
As of May 17 every one of the top 10 best-selling toys on Amazon was a form of the hand-held toy people can spin and do tricks with. The fidget spinner craze has been sweeping elementary and middle schools. The following essay is reprinted with permission from The Conversation, an online publication covering the latest research.
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