To Fidget or Not To Fidget?

As I close my eyes and drift away to a land where there is love, health, peace, and blessings. I wanted to take the time to think and reflect.

     The truth is the other day I learned about the Fidget gadgets. These come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The most popular of them is the Fidget Spinner. You may see these in your local corner store, or even in the street stalls. Retailers are marketing the Fidget Spinner to the consumer saying that they are helpful for focus, PTSD, assisting with ADHA, and reduction of anxiety. It is said that they are helpful for kids with ADHD, and even adults who find it difficult to remain still. Being still, or being able to be in the present moment. This is difficult for human beings because we tend to be future orientated. We are focused on the future. This is derived from our capacity to imagine, foresee, our intellect, and capabilities of the pre-frontal cortex.

     Then I began to think about the Fidget Spinner and how it would serve those with ADHD. It is said that ADHD is not being able to control behaviour. For example: If a "normal" person is angry, a person with ADHD's anger responses are going to be more intense. Research suggests that ADHD is found when the brain does not possess certain inhibitors that control certain behaviours. 

     OK, but how are these thoughts linked to the Fidget Spinner? So I got to thinking, and wondered that when the hands are busy playing with one of these gadgets, they are also engaging in a behaviour, as well as being able to carry out the present task. So what is happening - doing two things at once? It may seem so, but what is happening is that the brain functions have to shift from one task to the next, in an incredible amount of speed. This "multi tasking" or as I like to say multi - shifting is actually harmful to the brain. So yes, the gadgets are cute and playful, but they are just another type of gadget that is distracting from the learning.

     So I got to thinking deeper - I think that it is a lazy persons answer to shifting energies. Why not use excess energies to engage in meaningful activities, that will build good, strong, neural networks? Such as playing a sport, creating art, or getting involved in the community. You see the teenage years are the delicate years, where good habits must be fostered. 

     On another note, it seems like these gadgets are contributing to a type of diagnosis, to label individuals who are otherwise "normal", healthy, living, individuals. What these toys have done are to create a type of experimentation, create laziness, and even "medicalizing" a normal population with an ailment. For example: When a student carrying a Fidget Spinner is asked why they carry this: they may reply I find it difficult to sit still. So the question of the fidget spinner to be the answer for fidgeting bodies remains to be seen.   

     We can question how these gadgets are creating a type of laziness, and also once again ignore the realities of the needs of extra funding for schools and human labor, to promote active engagements, and participation in extra - curricula's; So that these energies are used for short - term, and long - term growth and development. 

Dedication: The words of this being are dedicated to all human beings, realize your difference is your beauty, it is what makes you unique. My thoughts to share with love & kindness! :) 

Notes:
These thoughts were originally hand - written on May 30th, 2017

Whilst it remains to be seen if these gadgets to have positive effects upon learning, I offer these thoughts as my own preliminary opinion. They are not based upon any individuals, or offered as critical. 

Further Reading - NPR Whirring, Purring Fidget Spinners Provide Entertainment, Not ADHD Help.
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