Who invented the spinner? Spinner: what is it, what is it for? Who was the spinner created for?

A spinner is a toy that allows you to relieve stress and kill time by spinning it in your hand. Recently, it has simply exploded in popularity among adults and especially teenagers and children. In this post we will tell the history of the spinner, as well as who invented it and when.

So, meet the woman who invented the first fidget spinner - Katherine Hattinger.

Katherine Hattinger, inventor of the spinner, and her granddaughter holding the original and modern spinners.

Katherine Hettinger has the mind of an inventor: when she notices a problem, she tries to imagine a toy or device that can solve it.

So when she heard about teenagers throwing rocks at police and people walking past them while visiting her sister in Israel, her gears started turning. She began brainstorming ways to distract young children and occupy their time with a toy.

First, she thought of a kind of soft stone that children could throw without causing harm to others. But then she pushed the idea aside, still thinking about other options. When she returned to her home in Orlando, Florida, there she eventually developed the idea that would become the original fidget spinner - more than two decades before the wildly popular device became a must-have toy for children and adults alike.

Spinning a classic spinner

“It started as a way to promote peace, and then I found something that was calming,” said Hettinger, who was 60 years old.

Spinner spinners now come in a variety of flavors (light-up spinners, for example, are quite popular right now) and hit the mass market after the patent on Hettinger's original spinner expired in 2005, meaning companies could sell the product independently. But Hettinger was not upset by the sudden popularity and capitalization of her invention. In fact, she's delighted about it.

“Maybe if it was some kind of exploitative product - like new cigarettes - and my only motivation was to make money, then I would have a different attitude towards what is happening, but I’m just delighted.”

Modern models of spinners, made of metal or plastic, have a bearing in the middle that allows it to rotate. Some of the spinners have multiple prongs, others have rounded ends. Fidget spinners, which range in price from a few dollars to hundreds, are designed to calm nerves and help with stress and anxiety. Now, pocket spinners are so popular that various models are in the top 20 best sellers on Amazon for games and toys (as of May 2, 2017).

Hettinger grew up in Oklahoma and attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York (a college known for its engineering and technology programs) before moving to Florida. She first applied for a patent in 1993 and her patent was approved four years later. But then spinners did not become so popular. Katherine held fairs, selling several thousand devices and often tried to sell them to toy companies.

Granddaughter Katherine plays with a spinner

As soon as she had the patent, she booked a meeting with Hasbro, the world's third-largest toy maker, and even found herself using a fidget spinner to calm her nerves before meeting with the company's vice president. Hasbro was not interested in the spinners, sending her a rejection letter after testing with consumers. But Hasbro is now selling fidget spinners, nearly 20 years after abandoning the original product.

Mass madness for a seemingly useless spinning thing, a spinner, has captured the world and come to the Altai region. What it is? What was it invented for? And why is it gaining popularity so quickly?

spinner

What is a spinner?

The spinner is an anti-stress toy. It is made of a bearing and a housing with several blades. The toy, as the name suggests, rotates. She doesn't do anything else. According to some sources, the spinner was invented by US housewife Katrin Hettinger for her daughter in the early 90s. At the time, the woman suffered from myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune disease that causes muscles to tire very quickly. Hettinger couldn't play with her daughter and made a toy called a spinner prototype so the child could have fun on his own.

“It wasn’t really even a prototype development. It was somewhat similar. I expected her to start playing with him,” Hettinger told The Guardian.

The first such toy was made from newspaper. Hettinger later patented the device, and it appears to bear little resemblance to a modern spinner.

The invention of the spinner is also credited to IT specialist Scott McCoskery. In an interview with American radio NPR, he said that he created the device to cope with anxiety. It was made of metal and was called Torqbar. When McCoskery shared photos of the invention on social media, many wanted to have the same thing, and the man began selling such products.

How is one spinner different from another?

Spinners differ in material, color, price, shape. We listed many of the characteristics at the beginning of the article, but here each designer acts as boldly as his imagination allows. The main sign of the coolness of a spinner is the duration of rotation. On average, for plastic models it is one minute. Some well-balanced iron spinners can spin for up to 6 minutes at a time. Prices for spinners start from 130 rubles and go almost to infinity.

Popularity of searching for spinners on Google at the beginning of 2017

Popularity

On December 23, 2016, James Plafk of Forbes published an article calling fidget spinners a "must-have office toy for 2017." In late March, users on social media sites such as YouTube and Reddit began uploading videos of themselves discussing and performing fidget spinner tricks. The Boston Globe reported that fidget spinners have "entered the mainstream" and the related anti-stress toy Fidget Cube is also becoming popular. Several sellers on Etsy were reported to be creating and selling fidget spinners with their own designs.

According to Money magazine, the popularity of fidget spinners began to grow significantly in April 2017, and in the same month the number of Google queries for the phrase “fidget spinner” increased sharply. By May 4th, various fidget spinner models had taken up every spot on Amazon's list of the 20 best-selling toys. Many publications agree that the popularity of fidget spinners will quickly fade away; some journalists compared their popularity with the growth of the bottle toss craze in 2016. On April 27, 2017, the New York Post wrote that "so-called fidget spinners, simple, inexpensive stress-relieving toys, are a passing fad that has swept the country in a way that stores can't keep up with the demand for." In May 2017, the demand for spinners was so great that several factories in China that produced cell phones and accessories for them switched to producing spinners.

Released on May 16 by video game publisher Ketchapp, the spinner app reached 7 million downloads in its first two weeks.

Did Gwyneth Paltrow and Kim Kardashian introduce the fashion for fidget spinners among celebrities?

Paltrow posted on her Instagram page a photo of a gift for her son for his birthday - a whole set of various fidget spinners.

“Dreams come true on your birthday,” the actress captioned the photo.

The star was hit with a real avalanche of messages from other mothers. Some people complained that they couldn’t walk home without these spinners, but most asked where they could buy the same ones.
Kim Kardashian released her spinner model - in the shape of a dollar and the inscription “Daddy”. The fact is that the TV star timed the release of this device to coincide with Father’s Day (June 18).
Kim Kardashian released her fidget spinner

Five theories of the popularity of fidget spinners

Spinner as a children's toy
Spinners are actively discussing the “guys in the camp”: they compete in the duration of promotion and try to repeat tricks from YouTube. It’s interesting that not only Internet folklore with memes and photoshopped images is developing around the spinner, but also “camp” folklore. In recent years, hardly any toy has managed to win back the discourse from video games like Minecraft - this happened only with Nerf blasters, around which a whole subculture has also formed.

Spinner as an anti-Rubik's cube
Erno Rubik conceived his “magic cube” as a textbook on mathematical group theory. This did not prevent his invention from becoming a Christmas tree toy and a subject of sports discipline. In turn, the ancient Greek ancestor of the yo-yo was used not only for entertainment, but was also involved in the rituals surrounding the birth of a child.

The spinner was originally a toy for children with disabilities. Its inventor, Katherine Hettinger, invented it for her daughter, who was susceptible to Erb-Goldfram myasthenia. As a result of this disease, the muscles quickly get tired. Most often, this disease manifests itself in girls during adolescence. In addition, with myasthenia gravis, it is harmful to be nervous. A spinner is an ideal device that does not require much effort and helps you relax. Ideologically, the spinner is the complete antipode of the Rubik's cube. It has no entry threshold, and is designed to relieve tension, not increase it.

In turn, the inability to solve a Rubik's cube can cause anxiety in a person and even provoke aggression. Psychologists have found that the cube drives not only chimpanzees, but also people into despair.

Spinner as a toy for adults

PornHub regularly releases research on the pornographic preferences of its users. In May, it became known that the number of requests for spinners on the resource had jumped sharply - 282% higher than usual. Most requests come from women aged 18 to 24 years. What you should do with this information is still unclear, but it is possible that the porn industry will simply be forced to respond to growing demand. Perhaps we should expect the emergence of a whole subgenre, albeit not a new one - anti-stress toys have already appeared in videos for adults before. However, it is possible that this strange trend will soon die out. Similar spikes in requests were observed at the peak of the popularity of the Pokemon GO game.

Spinner as a panacea

In some interviews, Hettinger claimed that the spinner was intended for patients with myasthenia gravis, and in others she said that it simply helps relieve stress. Meanwhile, the number of diseases that the spinner helps with is gradually growing: hyperactive disorder and post-traumatic syndrome have already been added to this list. Scientists are more cautious with their conclusions and so far say that the spinner only distracts us from extraneous thoughts, be it thinking about the meaning of life or the race for “likes” on Facebook.
Spinner as a symbol
The strangest theory about the popularity of spinners is mythological. The fact is that the shape of the spinner resembles at once the Irish triskelion, the Indian swastika, and the Slavic Kolovrat. The symbol is actually universal - for example, Christians can see in it a clear illustration of the dogma of the trinity. The latter worries some Catholics. In fact, you can find similarities with a spinner in almost anything - the main thing is that there is a center with petals diverging to the sides. However, the mythological theory itself is encouraging - it’s just that a new toy has awakened little-known forces of the unconscious and is gradually taking over the world.

According to a 2015 study in the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, repetitive activities help children with attention deficit disorder concentrate. You can click the automatic handle button, or you can spin the spinner - both are equally good. Although no research has been carried out regarding this particular toy, on the English-language Internet you can find articles about the spinner that begin with the words “teenagers”, “concentration”, “attention deficit”, “benefit”. Largely thanks to them, apparently, the toy became incredibly popular, first in the USA, and then in other countries.

Who invented the spinner?

Although the spinner has gained incredible popularity, bordering on hysteria, only today, it appeared back in the 1990s, and it is most likely impossible to definitely name the creator. The authorship is usually attributed to Katherine Hattinger from Florida: in 1993, she filed documents for a patent for a “spinning toy.” Bloomberg News later reported comments from Jeffrey Blake, an intellectual property lawyer who saw the toy's description in the patent and said it was different from what is called a fidget spinner today.

Katherine tells at least two different stories about how she came up with the idea for the toy. The first appeared in the New York Post. According to her, the woman saw children on the street throwing stones at the police, and with her invention she wanted to make the world a little calmer and give children a less destructive way to spend excess energy. The Guardian Katherine Hettinger told another: she allegedly suffers from myasthenia gravis and cannot fully play with her daughter. To entertain the girl, she glued pieces of newspaper together with tape, making various unusual things.

In general, today we are unlikely to find out exactly how the spinner appeared, so you can choose any of these stories.

Spinners suddenly and abruptly burst into our daily lives. People all over the world liked this toy so much that it threatens to turn into some kind of global epidemic. Almost every second passerby twirls such a device in his hand. Moreover, we are talking here not only about children and youth, but also about fully grown and accomplished people. What is it? What is the secret of the wild popularity of spinners? And why is humanity literally obsessed with them?

How do spinners work?

At its core, a spinner is an ordinary top. But its main feature is the bearing. It is thanks to this detail that the toy not only rotates for a long time, but also feels as comfortable as possible in the hands. If we consider a standard spinner, its shape resembles a three-rayed star with blades. However, technological progress has made it possible to create rectangular models with two wings (petals). On sale you can find absolutely round pinwheels, as well as incredible six-pointed specimens.

As a rule, spinners are made of metal and plastic. There are also all-aluminum options, which are slightly more expensive. And recently, manufacturers have been trying to diversify the appearance of such hand accessories with the help of LED lamps and strips. These models really look impressive, especially in the evening. This device also has a special platform for a comfortable grip with your fingers. Everything is simple, but logical and thoughtful.

The device operates according to all classical laws of physics. It is enough to make a sharp movement with your finger to instantly spin the spinner. In this case, the thumb and index finger are in the core area, holding the toy. When the device spins up, an interesting gyroscope effect appears. This makes it possible to hold it, for example, on the tip of a finger or nose.

Why do we spin it?

This progressive toy is bought by those who want to relieve stress, or simply keep their hands busy. The spinner allows you to effectively develop fine motor skills, fight neuroses and arterial hypertension. A person begins to concentrate much better and puts his thoughts in order.

And, of course, spinners give you the opportunity to learn amazing tricks that you can always surprise your friends and relatives with. Yes, you need to train hard for this, but the result will exceed all expectations. The Internet is already full of videos where craftsmen perform stunning stunt actions that are truly mesmerizing. The spinner can also be considered as a fun children's toy.

The history of the spinner

Fans of spinners have Katherine Hattinger to thank, who invented the device in 1993. This Florida woman had a young daughter who suffered from myasthenia gravis. Because of this, the woman was absolutely unable to even play with her child, as the girl’s muscles instantly got tired. But Katherine was not going to put up with this, inventing a device called a spinner. With the help of this device, my daughter had fun and also took her mind off the terrible illness.

A few years later, the American inventor began to successfully sell turntables of her own production. Of course, this success was relative, because sales did not exceed several thousand copies. And already in 1999, Katherine Hettinger received an exclusive patent, which expired in 2005.

Unfortunately, due to a lack of financial resources, it was not possible to renew the patent. At the same time, the woman tried to negotiate with the world-famous Hasbro corporation, which produces quality toys, but the negotiations ended in complete failure, and their mass release was postponed for an indefinite period.

With the rapid development of high technology, no one particularly remembered about spinners. But only until 2016. The revival of these surprisingly simple and interesting devices began before the 2017 New Year holidays, when Forbes magazine recommended that all office workers buy spinners. At that time, their cost ranged from 100 to 300 dollars. Moreover, in narrow circles, the expensive device was recently called a “desktop iPhone.” But 2017 came, and it became possible to buy a spinner for just a few dollars. At this time, their mass production began, which has not stopped to this day.

Are there any side effects?

Many parents are somewhat distrustful of this toy. But there are no real reasons for serious worries. The spinner is considered a fairly safe game without any small parts. Naturally, there may be Chinese counterfeits of poor quality, which should be avoided.

It is also worth keeping an eye on your child so that he does not try to put the spinner in his mouth. Something similar happened in Texas with a girl named Joek, who was saved almost at the last moment. There have also been several cases where children rotated the toy directly on their nose, which resulted in eye damage. Now schools are gradually starting to ban fidget spinners. Teachers do not allow students to use them in classrooms. This should eliminate moments when children were distracted during lessons.

What is the secret of success?

It may seem strange, but experts are unable to determine the reason for the crazy popularity of spinners, which are sold every month in the tens of millions. Perhaps people liked the toy due to its calming effect, or its appearance.

Surely some users like to simply and uncomplicatedly turn the device at home, on the street, on a trip or at work. Or maybe spinners just appeared at the right time and in the right place, when there was a certain satiety with electronic gadgets?

There is no definite answer here, but that’s why unpredictable and fascinating spinners are wonderful, which have captivated the population of almost our entire planet! Already now, their ideology and functions are being adopted by other similar toys, which will probably soon replace these entertaining devices.

The most popular toy among children and teenagers today, of course after the tablet, is the . This is such a fun pinwheel that you need to pinch with your fingers and spin. It can be made of different materials, have additional inserts and weights - the range is huge. Many adults don’t understand what a spinner is for, so they buy it and try to spin it themselves. Below you will find all the information about the product and decide whether your child needs it or not.

Who came up with it and how did it become popular?

A spinner is a rotating mechanism in the center of which there is a bearing, and several blades are evenly distributed on the sides. It is not known exactly who created it.

Engineer Katherine Hattinger- mother of a girl with an autoimmune disease. She says that she made the toy herself from a newspaper for her daughter so that she could study with her. Over time, the spinner became popular with friends and Katherine began selling it online;
Scott McCoskery, who claims to have come up with a device that helps him relieve anxiety during important negotiations and while working in the office. He posted photos and videos of the invention on the Internet and he began to receive orders to purchase the outlandish thing. Later, he and his friend wrote a patent application.

Immediately all well-known online stores began selling turntables of various shapes and colors. And some factories in China that produce small equipment have retrained and are now producing them. But many experts are sure that this won't last long, very soon the hype will disappear.

How does a spinner spin in space?

But so far the popularity of the toy is only growing. The astronauts even asked her to deliver her to the station. Now they are posting a video of how the spinner rotates in zero gravity. If you look closely, you will notice that the central part and the blades work as one unit, since the friction of the bearings is now reduced.

Many people believe that in space the spinner should rotate endlessly. But that's not true. Of course, it will work longer, but the bearings still rub against each other, as well as against the air that is in the station. All this together will create resistance. Perhaps, if you go into outer space and start the rotation mechanism there, it will spin endlessly. However, even there the parts inside will interfere with each other. In addition, one cannot help but take into account the gravitational force of nearby planets, the solar wind and other factors. Their intervention will be negligible, but it will be enough to reduce the rotation time.

NASA astronauts are confident that the mechanism can operate in outer space tens of times longer than on earth, but still not indefinitely. However, the theory can only be accurately proven experimentally.

And this experiment has already been carried out. In this video, astronaut Mike Fergenson will show how a spinner operates in zero gravity:

Will the toy be banned in Russia?

It would seem like an ordinary toy. But all over the world, teachers and doctors are discussing its appearance. Their opinions differed. In America, the product has become so popular among children that classes are being disrupted in schools. It got to the point where many states banned its sale.

Occupational therapists, on the contrary, are satisfied. Finally, there is a simulator that really helps people with autism, ADHD and anxiety to concentrate. The main thing is to learn how to use the device correctly. Its purpose is help where needed, not distract. And here it is necessary to draw a clear boundary.

In our country, opinions also differ and there are already proposals to ban the sale of the invention. But so far there is no such law.

Why is a spinner dangerous?

Like all new things, the invention raised a wave of discussion. Frightening news appears on the Internet, describing how dangerous the product is. There are exactly the same number of positive reviews.

We studied the opinions of both those and others and identified three main points:

spinner distracts from studying. Boys and girls, instead of listening to the teacher, spin the mechanism under the desk and on the desk without any hesitation. As soon as one person takes out an object in class, the class’s attention is lost until the end of the lesson and it is no longer possible to restore it;
Toy may hurt. There are cases where children were injured while trying to perform another trick. One boy tried to throw and catch the spinner, but couldn’t. It hit him in the eye and caused serious injury, as it turned out to be quite heavy;
Often made from low quality materials. Chinese manufacturers do not care much about the health of our children. It was recently discovered that products manufactured in this country contain mercury and lead.

These are the main complaints. But, as you can see, they can apply to any toy. It turns out that the problem is not in her, but in control by Rospotrebnadzor, schools and parents. You can prohibit bringing it to school, limit its use by age and buy only from good manufacturers. Then there is nothing to be afraid of, the same smartphone that every schoolchild now has will seem much more dangerous.

What did Nagiyev call the spinner in the MTS advertisement?

Indeed, today there has been some kind of boom in spinners. There was even a hint of this in the advertising. The famous showman D. Nagiyev mentioned what was happening in his next video for MTS. According to the plot, he talks about popular things that young people were “sick” of in the 70s and 80s. Washed jeans, a hairstyle - it was ultra-fashionable then and is now called the word “hype”.

At the end of the video, a spinner appears, which Nagiyev says is “a mess,” which caused a lot of emotions. Nobody can understand what this means.

Zashkvar- a concept that came to people from criminal jargon. Here, among ordinary people, it means something unpopular, uninteresting, not worth attention, disrespected by everyone.

And since Nagiyev portrays a fashionable and modern person in the video, he says that the spinner is a mess. The hidden meaning is clearly visible. The authors are trying to say in this way that people calm down and stop, there is no need to make a cult out of an ordinary toy that essentially resembles a top that we played with in childhood.

Buy it if your kids like it, don't buy it if you think it's crap. But she's not really worth that much attention.

In this article, we explained why a spinner is needed, briefly described the history of its invention and how it became popular. Decide for yourself whether it is suitable for your child. Probably, if you use this thing for its intended purpose and in the allotted time, you should not forbid him to play with it. The fashion will pass, and he will put it aside himself, finding other entertainment for himself.