An In-Depth Look at the Increasingly Popular Fascination With Fidget Spinners and Gadgets

PBS Idea Channel host Mike Rugnetta examines the popularity of fidget spinners and gadgets, specifically defining the origins of the work, the growing fascination with constantly being occupied, the benefits these objects can bring to those with ADHD and autism and the ongoing question of whether they are a help or hindrance to the classroom.

The assumed purpose of the fidget spinner is to help people, particularly students, concentrate to give an outlet to excess energy caused by stress or anxiety, particularly that associated with ADHD and autism. …but many teachers have been saying actually tool-assisted fidgeting is not an aid to concentration, but a hindrance that they are a distraction