Currently, there are three words that I can think of that people either love or are super sick of hearing: Fitbits and fidget toys. Despite being super popular, (and dare I say helpful?) these two hot items, like most other trends, seem to constantly be under heavy criticism from people who don't like them.
I'm guilty to owning both of these products and since they're extremely useful for me, I'm going to defend them. I'll start off with the product I've had the longest:
Fitbits
Fitbits have been around for a long time, and just about every other person I know has one. Some people that don't have them say that there isn't really a point: 10,000 steps is just an arbitrary number that doesn't really mean anything. Who would want to spend all that money on something that really doesn't do much?
I'll admit, at first I was on the skeptical side. Even though I was obsessed with my pedometer in middle school, I didn't really want a Fitbit. That changed after my mom and aunt got one and then my mom bought me one for my birthday.
How it's helped
Now, I understand that 10,000 isn't some magic number that will cure all health problems the second that I hit it. However, sitting a majority of the day isn't good for you, and at least now I have a reminder and motivator to be more active. When you're busy and things slip your mind, a little help remembering is always nice. And it's oddly satisfying to hit (or even go above!) your goal.
Now let's talk about the new gadgets that everyone either loves or is tired of hearing about:
Fidget toys
I never heard of these until suddenly everyone had them, so I'm not too sure when people first heard of them or how they became so viral. I first heard that they were marketed to people with attention issues, which I thought was a pretty cool idea. Just as suddenly as I heard about them, people started bashing them saying that they didn't help anyone, they were useless and only served as an excuse to not pay attention in class.
How they've helped me
I've been restless almost my whole life and could usually be found playing with anything in arm's reach that could be played with in one hand. That's why when I first heard about the fidget cube, I got super excited. I could twirl things with my thumb, click buttons like a pen and a few other cool features.
When I got it, I was happy I'd always have something readily available to fiddle with. As I got to use it more, I realized that it wasn't just good for my fidgety hands, but it also helped calm my anxiety when it got really bad. As for the fidget spinners, they serve their purposes too. I've gotten to use both and I can find different benefits from each.
To the people who say fidget spinners don't help anyone, just remember that everyone's minds work differently. Sure some people only like them because they're fun toys to play with when they're bored. But who cares? Now, I know that they shouldn't take them to school and disrupt class, ruining the opportunity for those who actually benefit from them. But other than that, why has playing with them become such a "bad thing?"
I think we need to let people live their lives. If what they're doing isn't hurting you or anyone else, why complain? Let people do what helps them or makes them happy, and go do what makes you happy.
Sheetal Tadiparty
Flickr Creative Commons
