Spinners (or other stim toys)

[Elvera]

The popularity of it is a double-edge sword because its readily available for people who need it and they won't be targeted for having it (at least until the trend is over), but they're going to get banned from schools pretty soon.

Personally I like the cube because its smaller and has the joystick that I can just move around, but I still tap my fingers and I don't think that'll change soon. It's a good idea though.

 

[brutalitea]

I prefer fidget cubes over spinners.

 

[sej]

I now have one and I love it I'd like to change my vote pls lol

 

[fallensnow]

With my teacher hat on, I honestly can't stand them and think they're super distracting to learning!
But with my non-teacher hat on, they're okay. My boyfriend recently bought one and I had a little go on it.... It's somewhat fun but does get boring after a while... I guess they're just not for me.

 

[AngelBunny]

i just got one at the carnival my park had yesterday!

 

[Mr. Cat]

With my teacher hat on, I honestly can't stand them and think they're super distracting to learning!
But with my non-teacher hat on, they're okay. My boyfriend recently bought one and I had a little go on it.... It's somewhat fun but does get boring after a while... I guess they're just not for me.

They're meant for neurodiverse people. Please keep that in mind if you think it's distracting. A lot of neurodiverse kids can't focus at all when they're not fidgeting. It may look like they're not paying attention, but that may be the only way they can. I know it would have helped me a lot in school.

 

[fallensnow]

They're meant for neurodiverse people. Please keep that in mind if you think it's distracting. A lot of neurodiverse kids can't focus at all when they're not fidgeting. It may look like they're not paying attention, but that may be the only way they can. I know it would have helped me a lot in school.

Oh gosh, I completely understand the function of them in that respect, please don't get me wrong! >.<
But, typically speaking, in our older years pretty much all children are using them during lesson time and therefore not getting work done. It's a shame really as I'm sure they do really help those who need them, like you said yourself! ^.^

 

[Mr. Cat]

Oh gosh, I completely understand the function of them in that respect, please don't get me wrong! >.<
But, typically speaking, in our older years pretty much all children are using them during lesson time and therefore not getting work done. It's a shame really as I'm sure they do really help those who need them, like you said yourself! ^.^

Yeah, that's terrible I've just seen so much about people not understanding their intended purpose because too many people have been abusing them. Like I said, I'm not in school, so I have no idea what is really going on. It really is a shame though. Thanks for understanding!

 

[Hopeless Opus]

a few people from my school got some spinners. it was half and half, some genuinely bought them for a stress reliever and others bought it for satisfactory reasons. they are a fantastic idea for those that actually need something to be in their hands to keep them from fidgeting, but otherwise people have turned them into a 'fad' which is very unnecessary and insulting to people who actually need them.

 

[xSuperMario64x]

Because of increased popularity I've been able to get a Spinner at a local store. I've been wanting one all year. I have anxiety, autism, and PTSD. Honestly, this thing has done miracles for me when it comes to staying grounded in public places and social settings. I'm a bit self concious, as an adult, to be using this out in public though because now there seems to be this stereotype that they're a school aged child's trend item and I don't want people to treat me differently... I don't go to school though, so I haven't seen anybody else using one. Are they really that popular and what do you think of them? I mean, I don't care either way, it still helps me a lot and I will continue to use it, but I still wonder what other people think of it. Have you seen anybody else with them? Do you have one yourself? How do you feel about them?

I also have really bad anxiety, and aspergers, and I fidget a lot, especially in school where I'm forced to sit or stand still for long periods of time. I would love to get one, but I haven't seen them in any stores. Some of the kids at my school have them. They seem like great stress relievers, cause they're fun to spin and watch.

I wouldn't be embarrassed about having one. If someone wants to stereotype you and call you a child because you have something that relieves your anxiety, then that's their problem. I'm sure they were made exactly for what you're using it for, not just for some derpy middle-schooler to carry around while simultaneously thinking they're "cool" for having it.

 

[Nightmares]

I'll rephrase: let the trend burn

The only reason I'm starting to hate them is the amount of people who have them just because they're popular
Also the YouTube videos need to burn too

 

[LittleMissPanda]

See, funny thing is, everyone---man, woman, teen or child, will need one of these or be seen with one, believing it's actually making a difference.

I feel these things don't do jack squat for disorders, etc. But hey, people in general have issues, mental or not. If you ask me, these things are just a fad. Society hasn't had one in a long time, it seems. Waste of money, really.

 

[Mr. Cat]

See, funny thing is, everyone---man, woman, teen or child, will need one of these or be seen with one, believing it's actually making a difference.

I feel these things don't do jack squat for disorders, etc. But hey, people in general have issues, mental or not. If you ask me, these things are just a fad. Society hasn't had one in a long time, it seems. Waste of money, really.

Unless you have a neurological disorder yourself, you couldn't possibly understand. It's like how people say reptitive movements (stimming - examples are hand flapping, tapping, bouncing, fidgeting) in people with ADHD and Autism serve no purpose. It's self regulation. Unless you know the feeling yourself, please try not to speak for others. If it does nothing for you, don't buy it. You don't need it. They're not made for everyone.

These weren't a fad. They started out being used by the neurodiverse community and then people without neurodiversities saw them and started treating them as some trendy toy years later.

 

[LittleMissPanda]

Unless you have a neurological disorder yourself, you couldn't possibly understand. It's like how people say reptitive movements (stimming - examples are hand flapping, tapping, bouncing, fidgeting) in people with ADHD and Autism serve no purpose. It's self regulation. Unless you know the feeling yourself, please try not to speak for others. If it does nothing for you, don't buy it. You don't need it. They're not made for everyone.

We all have a little ADHD in all of us. That goes to show how far we've come. That's just how I see it, though. I have no qualms with opinions, they're what make things interesting.

 

[xSuperMario64x]

Unless you have a neurological disorder yourself, you couldn't possibly understand. It's like how people say reptitive movements (stimming - examples are hand flapping, tapping, bouncing, fidgeting) in people with ADHD and Autism serve no purpose. It's self regulation. Unless you know the feeling yourself, please try not to speak for others. If it does nothing for you, don't buy it. You don't need it. They're not made for everyone.

These weren't a fad. They started out being used by the neurodiverse community and then people without neurodiversities saw them and started treating them as some trendy toy years later.

Don't worry, in a couple of months kids will get bored with them, and they will continue to serve their original purpose again.

I do agree with what you say here. People I know who don't have fidgeting issues don't care for them or get irritated by them. Like I said, I do have anxiety, and playing with something like a tissue or a rubber band helps me deal with anxiety. This toy is specifically made to help with nervous habits so I like that idea a lot.

It does suck that those kids are ruining it for everyone else, though.

 

[KaydeeKrunk]

I am seeing memes making fun of them now and it's making me really angry... like they're photo-shopping spinners onto pictures and saying "oh no that ___ is disabled!" and it's not funny at all. Like the stupid triggered meme. Really wish people wouldn't use disabled people as punch lines, it's just so tired and horrible.

 

[Blu Rose]

honestly they're extremely distracting
"oh, but blu rass! the neurodiverse community can only focus when fidgeting!"
ok so
the problem with the stim toys currently used as a trend is that they all make repetitive noises which become annoying, very noticeable (especially in a classroom setting where the teacher is the only speaker), and are very visible phenomena (even for like the fidget cube's non-noisemaking facets). this leads to a distraction of the people around the person fidgeting. so, a decision needs to be made regarding the toy: let the students around the fidgeter be unfocused because of the fidget _______, or let the fidgeter be unfocused him or herself
it simply makes no sense to permit fidget _______s to be used within a typical classroom setting as they have been

there is a very simple solution: get a stress ball
get some rice or flour or even some sort of extremely non-viscous gel-based liquid, put it into a balloon, bam, stress ball that doesn't make noise and can easily be fidgeted with in a manner that isn't noticeable unlike the fidget _______s described above

 

[seliph]

honestly they're extremely distracting
"oh, but blu rass! the neurodiverse community can only focus when fidgeting!"
ok so
the problem with the stim toys currently used as a trend is that they all make repetitive noises which become annoying, very noticeable (especially in a classroom setting where the teacher is the only speaker), and are very visible phenomena (even for like the fidget cube's non-noisemaking facets). this leads to a distraction of the people around the person fidgeting. so, a decision needs to be made regarding the toy: let the students around the fidgeter be unfocused because of the fidget _______, or let the fidgeter be unfocused him or herself
it simply makes no sense to permit fidget _______s to be used within a typical classroom setting as they have been

there is a very simple solution: get a stress ball
get some rice or flour or even some sort of extremely non-viscous gel-based liquid, put it into a balloon, bam, stress ball that doesn't make noise and can easily be fidgeted with in a manner that isn't noticeable unlike the fidget _______s described above

I see what you're saying and in that case I'd say get a silent spinner ring, or play with the cube in your pocket and don't use the noisy sides.

Stress balls don't do anything for me personally except maybe tire my arm out from squeezing it to death.

 

[KaydeeKrunk]

I agree with you both ^^, that's what I was saying too, it can be a big distraction for others when it's noisy or visible, the cubes and stuff are made small simply so they can be easily concealed. That's the whole point DISCREET stimming to help yourself, if you do it out in the open it will cause a distraction, other kids will ask about it and want to play with it, think it's unfair you get a toy and they don't. So I am all for smaller stim/fidget toys that can be concealed and done discreetly as to not distract others.

 

[seliph]

I agree with you both ^^, that's what I was saying too, it can be a big distraction for others when it's noisy or visible, the cubes and stuff are made small simply so they can be easily concealed. That's the whole point DISCREET stimming to help yourself, if you do it out in the open it will cause a distraction, other kids will ask about it and want to play with it, think it's unfair you get a toy and they don't. So I am all for smaller stim/fidget toys that can be concealed and done discreetly as to not distract others.

That's why I prefer rings 'cause while the cube has more options I don't want people to stare at me or to notice, and if they do notice I just look like some dude playing with his ring out of boredom. Plus there's not much excitement about someone just moving their thumb so it's not much of a distraction to others.