Even though a fidget spinner is more than likely in the hands of every elementary school and middle school child, don't think the craze is just for students. Adults play with them too, and they are everywhere you look.
A fidget spinner is a small gadget used to relieve stress. The spinner is held in one hand, and when pinched with a thumb and forefinger, the prongs spin. People who have used the gadget for a while can be seen doing different tricks, such as sending it from one hand to the other or balancing it on a finger. However, based on its name, the main function of a fidget spinner is to fidget with it.
Most people fidget with something anyway. For instance, they click a ballpoint pen while talking on the telephone. Some adults use the fidget spinners when they are in boring meetings.
Gadget or toy?
Some people call the fidget spinner a gadget, and some people call it a toy. Before December 2016, no one had ever heard anything about the item. Now the term is trending on social media, however, not all the news about it is positive. Teachers have posted of their dislike for the gadget in their classrooms. They say students have become addicted to them. Some administrators are so tired of the distraction that the gadget has been banned in some schools in the United States.
Inventor of the fidget spinner
The fidget spinner is such a hot item that stores can't keep them on their shelves. They are on back order at Amazon, Walmart and Target. One would think that that would be good news for the woman who invented the toy. It has been reported that Catherine Hettinger hasn't made one cent from the item she invented back in the 1990s.
That's because her patent expired earlier this year.
Therefore, her invention was up for grabs, and she has seen many large companies make a version of her product. It is a sad story, but Hettinger is trying to make a comeback. She is planning to sell her original circular fidget spinner that does not include the prongs. She is selling her Florida house to raise money to fund her product.
She is also beginning a Kickstarter campaign.
Hettinger attempted to provide a product to help children and adults calm their nerves and relieve stress. She sold about two thousand units of the item on her own at fairs around Florida where she lives. The inventor consulted Hasbro, but the toy company did not accept her invention.
