Mental Health

Fidget Spinners' Stress Relief Claims Are Under The Microscope

America's new favorite toy is advertised as a stress reliever, but some medical professionals aren't sure if that claim is valid.

Fidget Spinners' Stress Relief Claims Are Under The Microscope
Robert Couse-Baker / CC BY 2.0
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Fidget gadgets are incredibly popular. They're the top 20 most-sold toys on Amazon.

But people can't decide if they have a medical purpose or if they're just a toy.

Some adults — mostly teachers — say the noisy toys are just another distraction in the classroom.

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But some parents say these gadgets have medical properties that can help children who have anxiety, stress and ADHD.

They're even advertised as being able to ease those issues.

The debate even splits the medical community.

One clinical psychologist from Duke University told NPR that advertising these devices as helping with ADHD is a false claim because he says no scientific studies prove it.

But some sensory toys, like stress balls, have been found to help with classroom distractions.