My fidget spinner and I have just been informed that fidget spinners are over
Terrible news. Mere weeks after obtaining my beloved fidget spinner, I have been told that not only are they "over," but they have been over for months.
The first murmurs of the spinner's demise came as early as May. Financial analyst Bradley Thomas, who hates when I have fun, noticed that fidget spinners had declined in both Amazon rankings and Google search rankings--a surefire sign it had already reached its peak.
From there, the signals only became clearer. FiveThirtyEight wrote its eulogy for the fidget spinner in mid-June. In August, the New York Times published a story chronicling its "fall." And as the summer waned, the Washington Post declared that while fidget spinners had indeed become passé for children, they were gaining popularity among adults.
So, by Washington Post standards, I am either an old woman or a ghost. Because it was only then that I got a fidget spinner of my own.
Honestly, it was an accident. My fidget spinner, which is a nice shade of red and embossed with the word "SWITZERLAND," (okay, fine, it looks like the Swiss flag) was gifted to me by a friend as a thank you gift for watching his apartment while he was in--you guessed it--Switzerland. To be clear, I did not deserve this fidget spinner. I did zero work and my boyfriend did everything. But I still had a fidget spinner to show for it.
By Washington Post standards, I am either an old woman or a ghost.
And when I spun the spinner, I finally spunderstood what Kendall Jenner realized so many months ago. The weight of the object really is pleasant, and as it rotates, the visual really is hypnotic. And yes, taking a moment to zone out a bit with this piece of whirly plastic has been a small, reliable way to help manage my anxiety.
Now, my experience doesn't make the fidget spinner any less dead--even if bright red is on-trend right now and the Swiss flag is conveniently the same shade of red that is on-trend. Perhaps, though, it does say something about how trends proliferate: that, as the Post posits, the fidget spinner's lifespan in the adult world might be muted, but it's definitely not over.
Mostly, though, I do not care if fidget spinners are over. Why? Well, I am still wearing skinny jeans even though they have been memorialized for literal years, and that has turned out fine for me. I also still love bottle flipping videos. They are truly impressive.
What further justification do I need? The answer, my friends, is none. Happy spinning!
Chloe was the shopping editor at Mashable. She was also previously a culture reporter. You can follow her on Twitter at @chloebryan.
