Do fidget spinners help or harm children’s concentration?

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Some schools are banning these little toys, arguing that they distract students, while others say they help them pay attention. What do experts say?

Do fidget spinners help or harm children’s concentration?
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Reading time < 1 minute
Reading Time: < 1 minute



Photo: Wikimedia

Photo: Wikimedia

Fidget spinners, the stress-relieving toys, are taking the world by storm.

Although they were created in the 1990s, they have just taken off, and thousands of kids around the world are using them thanks to social media buzz and marketing.

The use of fidget spinners in the classroom is polemic. Teachers hate the toys and some schools are banning them, arguing that they distract students, while others say they help them stay focused.

Manufacturers and sellers claim that they can help children, especially those with Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), concentrate and tackle anxiety or boredom.

Despite those assertions, there is no concrete scientific evidence that proves that they work.

Scott Kollins, a clinical psychologist at Duke University, says that no research has provided evidence that spinners, or other toys, are effective at addressing ADHD.

“I know there’s lots of similar toys, just like there’s lots of other games and products marketed toward individuals who have ADHD, and there’s basically no scientific evidence that those things work”, he said.

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This article from Observatory of the Institute for the Future of Education may be shared under the terms of the license CC BY-NC-SA 4.0