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The world is flooded with a new toy called a spinner – a small “spinner”, which, according to the principle of operation, resembles a top.
Flat, quickly rotating on the fingers, wheels with three blades, replaced the children of Pokémon. Sellers present it as an anti-stress toy. But experts say that it is not so safe anymore.
What is a spinner
The spinner consists of wheels and wings. As soon as you start spinning one, everyone starts to move. The toy was invented by the Americans in the 1990s. But it gained rather great popularity all over the world only in 2017.
The inventor of the spinner is believed to be the chemical engineer Katherine Hettinger, who in the early 1990s invented this simple device for her daughter, who was suffering from pathological muscle fatigue syndrome at the time.
The device was patented, but there was no mass production. Her patent expired in 2005, but Catherine was in no hurry to renew it. In addition to Hettinger, Scott McCoskery is also ranked among the authors of the spinner, who invented a similar device according to the principle of action in 2014 in order to tame his irritability.
Fidget spinner is advertised as a tool to help people with concentration problems or those who experience constant anxiety. It is believed to have gained worldwide popularity through an article in Forbes magazine after being voted the best office toy.
In Russia, this “turntable” appeared in the spring of 2017 and immediately became popular. According to Google, there has been an insane surge in interest in this device.
Factories of children’s toys, having become interested in the trend, have relied on the production of spinners. So the “twist” hit the domestic market. Today they literally flooded the cities and are sold at every turn.
Stores even put up signs stating that spinners are for sale here. They can also be found in grocery stores and hardware stores.
Although the spinner is often advertised as a useful thing, it has gained wide popularity mainly among schoolchildren who do incredible tricks with it. However, some American schools have already banned them, citing the fact that they interfere with learning, distract the student from classes.
Both in America and in our country, cases have already been recorded when, with strong unwinding, children received facial injuries.
Dangerous toy
Despite the fact that almost all sites say that this “spinner” is absolutely safe for children, experts talk about the danger of the spinner. Now on the territory of the European Union, a decision has been made to withdraw the product from the final consumer for destruction, as well as to exclude its appearance on the market by banning imports at the EU border.
We are not talking about all the spinners, but about a specific model – Cs5555 Sym0024. The battery compartment of this model opens without the use of special tools and the child easily gains access to small parts that he can swallow, which, of course, will harm his health.
The marked model does not meet the safety requirements for children’s toys and the corresponding European standard EN 62115. Considering all this, the Europeans rejected this model. The good news is that no toxic elements were found there.
When choosing other models, it is recommended to pay attention to the labeling, because the consumer should receive all the information that interests him. Then, in the event of an accident, you can contact the manufacturer.
You should also pay attention to the smell, its presence indicates that there are toxic elements in the toy. In addition, you need to take a close look at it: is it easy to disassemble, whether it has sharp edges.
Dangerous toys
Today there is no unanimous opinion regarding the benefits or harms of this fun for the human psyche. Some experts say that it relieves stress, helps focus, and also promotes the development of fine motor skills in the hands.
Toy sellers assure that with the help of a spinner you can get rid of feelings of anxiety and irritability. But the opposite opinion is also widespread that the spinner is a well-thought-out yet another marketing ploy, primarily aimed at children and office workers.
If you play the turntable only from time to time, then there is nothing wrong with that. But if the child twists it all day, then this is already a problem. If parents have already bought a spinner for their child, they must take responsibility and control so that the games with it are dosed.
What is the danger?
Psychologists advise children not to buy this newfangled “fun”. In their opinion, she introduces children into a trance. Perhaps this is anti-stress, but it takes you away from reality. This is not an educational game that should be constantly in children’s hands.
Monotonous activity causes alertness in specialists: this is the moment of getting hung up on monotonous physical activity, which does not contribute to the development of the brain.
During such games, the child experiences passive activity. If he runs with a ball or jumps on a rope, then the brain is saturated with oxygen. And here the child just sits.
Therefore, if there is such a passive activity, then the child must receive physical relaxation and his own dose of oxygen. If he does not do this, after playing with the spinner, he may become aggressive or sleep poorly. Although this is all individual.
Therefore, in order to avoid such consequences of playing with spinners, experts recommend not strictly prohibiting, but restricting. Invite your child to play with something else. It is good to give him a substitute in such cases.
However, it all depends on the relationship between parent and child. The market will always offer toys that children will be tempted by. Therefore, parents should have their own opinion.
If we weigh all the pros and cons of a spinner, then you need to understand that this is, first of all, a fashionable toy. And for children it is important that they have such a thing as their friends. However, everything should be in moderation. Once upon a time, children were fond of yo-yo, tamagotchi, tetris, they caught Pokemon. Now the fidget spinner has replaced those fashionable toys.
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