Last year was the start of fidget culture. Fidget spinners were wildly popular, and they ultimately ended up becoming a meme for a very long time.

It was fun, then it was silly, then it was stupid.

Then the knock-offs came; fancy iridescent spinners, pop culture spinners, intricately designed spinners, and (who knows what) other kinds of designs started to pop up everywhere. They were all overpriced for some odd reason, also.

People performed tricks with them, made their pets perform tricks with them, made them out of food, and incorporated them into nail art because these little things became so damn popular.

Then came the fidget cubes. Each side had a different contraption to keep hands busy. Multiple colors included, of course.

And no one ever questioned them.

They came in slowly, blew up in popularity, and literally became a meme. It all sounds funny and silly but no one ever questioned what the hell their purpose actually was.

No, it wasn’t to be a distraction from class that leads to fidget spinners being banned in some middle schools. When I was in middle school, they banned the “I <3 boobies” bracelets. I mean, come on.

They were initially marketed as a tool to help kids with attention disorders and/or anxiety, who are usually people who tend to fidget. For attention disorders, it allows them to keep in movement so that they can focus on the task at hand.

Fidget spinners had a purpose, but their popularity soared so high that they practically abandoned it.

Of course, they would never step in and say, “If you don’t have these symptoms, you can’t buy a fidget spinner. You’re banned, nope, not allowed, never, nuh uh.”

No company in their right mind would do that because it means less profit. So if people want to do tricks with a toy, put it in food, and make a big joke about it, “Please do it! I need another couple million dollars!”

So people forgot fidget spinners actually had a purpose... and a good one too! The fidget cube was another knock-off product hoping for the same outcome and profit income. Whether or not that happened, I don’t know, but they were never as popular as spinners.

Here’s the problem I have with all of this: they abandoned their initial audience and decided to profit off of a joke.

Take this hypothetical example. A middle schooler, who has attention troubles, or maybe anxiety, has problems focusing in school. They’re already nervous to admit that they have a mental health issue for fear of being bullied.

Fidget spinners come out; they purchase one and they see a change. They can focus. School is easier and their mental health begins to not feel so scary.

Then people begin making fun of spinners. “They’re silly. They’re stupid.”

Then the school board bans them because they’re distracting. Now this kid is back to struggling, but their teacher took away their spinner when they tried to use it in class again.

And now their mental health is just as bad as it used to be.

Something that had a true and good purpose was ruined by its own popularity. But instead of pressing their purpose, they went along with the joke and made a second, similar joke. They have literally profited off of turning mental illness into a joke.

I know it sounds bold and crazy, but think about it.

My hands shake when I’m anxious; it’s super bad and obvious when I have to give a presentation. If I pulled out a fidget spinner while I gave a presentation as a college student because it stopped my hands from shaking, do you really think I wouldn’t get funny looks from my classmates?

Do you really think my professor wouldn’t question me and ultimately ask me to put it away because it’s not appropriate to have toys in that setting?

Of course that would happen! Because we don’t see them with a purpose anymore. They’re just a silly toy.

To people who would have liked to use fidget spinners as something more than a toy, I’m sorry. I’m sorry that this all became some kind of silly playground joke when it could have helped a lot of people.