Fidget spinners for children: benefit or harm

This is some kind of global insanity. Yesterday, no one had ever heard of spinners, and today on YouTube there are entire channels dedicated to this mysterious thing. Yes, there, even Ivan Urgant appeared in his show with a spinner in his hands, and Forbes magazine called the toy "a mandatory office accessory - 2017." "Today, all kinds of what they found, bought and bought," says one saleswoman of the shopping center of the other. Apparently, the child requires. So what is it? Why is it your child? And, most importantly, is it not harmful?A photo: GettyImages The full name of the toy is fidget spinner, which literally means “toy for fidget”. She was invented by Kathryn Hettinger, a chemist by training. She received a patent in the 90s of the last century. According to one of the versions, she made it especially for teenagers who have nowhere to put bad energy - like the ones that threw a fire-pack into the sewer system in Primorsky Krai the other day. In another interview, Catherine said that she built a toy from scrap materials so that her daughter could play with something: the child Hettinger had a rare disease that causes specific muscle fatigue. The girlfriends saw the toy, they also liked it - and so it went into the world. The spinner was set up quite simply: in the middle there is a fixed part, and the outer part can be unwound around its axis. The weight of individual parts is selected so as to ensure free rotation, which is maintained as long as possible. In general, you can even collect yourself, as Catherine did in her time. The toy is positioned as an anti-stress. Several reputable publications have already written about the properties of spinners. The portal streamlined them and brought the advantages of the device.1. Develops fine motor skills. With it, as all parents know, very much is connected: memory, intelligence, even speech. Works as an anti-stress, helping to concentrate. They say, even from the fear of flying eliminates. It's all about repetitive movements: they can even calm a child with an autism spectrum disorder. And much better than smoking. It helps children with hyperactivity syndrome and perception problems - along with kinetic sand and other sensory toys.4. Relieves muscle tension from a long work of hands: writing lectures, typing text, driving, etc. 5. Children help to distract from gadgets. Eliminates annoying habits: snapping fingers, banging on the table, nail biting. The latter is especially important for children. However, the opinions of teachers about the usefulness of spinners diverge. Many schools in the United States have already banned them. That is, play on health, but not in the classroom. Some local specialists think so. Elena Nikolaeva, medical psychologist:- Spinners can be a distraction,a trick. They do not solve problems and do not relieve a person from a stressful state. Often, children do not know how to use these devices correctly, and switch all their attention to them instead of keeping them in the background. This can distract them from more important things, such as studying. In terms of developing fine motor skills and logic, it is better to use various puzzles, a Rubik's cube, snakes, etc. One of the advantages of a spinner is to kill time. But wouldn't it be better to spend this time usefully? You can draw, sculpt, build, embroider, ride a bike, roller skate, walk, play sports. There is another opinion. “I allowed one of the students to use the spinner. I bought one for myself too. And the guy has a severe form of ADHD and behavioral problems that prevent him from studying with other children. It is difficult for him to sit for a long time. And with the help of a spinner, he was able to release his energy without disturbing his classmates. The day he first sat in class with a spinner, I was absolutely thrilled. He sat quietly. He listened. He participated in the discussion. The spinner never stopped,” said special education teacher Rebecca Poe. In addition, there is a study that showed that people who draw or scribble during lectures remember 29 percent more information than those who just listen. “As a medical therapy, I would not prescribe it as a doctor,” says Dr. John Bender, a family physician. “However, there is no evidence that spinners are harmful. There are no comprehensive studies on this issue at all. However, for people with attention deficit, those suffering from increased anxiety, with autism spectrum disorders, they can be useful. But you should not expect miracles from them.” So no one is ready to give a universal recipe. You will have to try. If you see that the spinner distracts your child more than it helps him, do not allow him to take it to school. And if it helps to concentrate, then why not let the child spin the toy while he studies physics or poetry. In any case, one thing is certain: it is not harmful. True, there are a lot of horror stories about how spinners maim children. But scissors can also maim if you do stupid things with them. However, no one forbids scissors. As well as using a knife at the table. P.S. Before our correspondent began writing this material, his child did not have a spinner. But soon he will - while preparing the text, the author ordered one from an online store. P.P.S. The fidget spinner is inexpensive: from 50-100 rubles. However, the range of prices is quite wide. The cost of the toy can reach 2-3 thousand rubles.