The sounds of spinning, popping, and clicking fill the classroom. Everyone looks around with a sense of dread. “What are those noises?” they ask themselves, fear present in their eyes. Reports and emails are frantically sent out among teachers and staff members. Chaos ensues. What is going on in these classrooms?!

The answer is simple: Fidgets!

After the recent surge of fidgets through TikTok during the summer, fidgets took their roots in modern culture. Whether it be a pop it, simple dimple, or a pop tube, both children and teens are starting to see the appeal towards these simple toys.

But why is there a fascination with fidgets? To junior Kate Harding, fidgets allow her to see another viewpoint during hardship.

“When I’m in a stressful situation, it can be hard to take myself out of it and see from a different perspective,” Harding said. “Fidgets really do that for me… they help me relax and see things differently.”

Although this concept can be seen as strange–a small toy being able to relax people in stressful situations–it’s actually true, as seen with a 2018 study by Erez James Cohen, a member of the Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine in Physiological Sciences.

This experiment revealed how fidgets help with anxiety treatment in the short term as well as increasing focus and attention in the classroom.

The recent explosion of fidgets has revealed a controversy between fidgets in the classroom and whether they are truly distracting or not, and from my personal experience, they do help students stay focused during lectures or tests.

I find myself to be a very nervous person who doubts himself way more than he should. By being able to play with something, I can calm the nerves in my constantly thinking brain, which helps me stay focused when I’m overwhelmed in class.

Regardless of personal experiences, there is still controversy that is held within fidgets in the classroom. Whether they’re just a distraction or simply something that impedes further educational development, conflict among teachers and students is relevant throughout schools, with some negative consequences resulting from this tension.

“When I was in elementary school, and fidget spinners became popular, our school banned fidgets as a whole,” Harding said. “It was unfortunate; my brother needed them for his ADHD, but because they were banned he had to start picking his nails.”

Whether you’re a teacher or a student, fidgets are something that can be seen with students in the classroom. Maybe instead of seeing these fidgets as distractions, we can focus on how they decrease anxiety and increase focus in the short term. After all, fidgets are not something to be feared, but rather things that can pop, click, and spin away chaos within schools.