Fidget Spinners Are Being Destroyed By Germans

Germans are literally crushing fidget spinners by the ton, and for a very good reason.

German customs have reportedly confiscated 39 tons of fidget spinners in May and intend on destroying them, according to The Associated Press. The popular toys came from China into Frankfurt, Germany, where they were tested and found to have parts capable of falling off and creating a choking hazard for young kids.

Additionally, the fidget spinners did not come with any special instructions or information on where the products were originally designed, said customs spokesperson Christine Strauss.

The rise in popularity of fidget spinners has also brought about stories of the small toys causing injuries. There have been multiple incidents of young children playing with the toy only to have one of the bearings fly into their mouth. Some bearings have been stuck in the esophagus while others have swallowed them whole. Others have tried out tricks with the spinners, like propelling them into the air while they are still spinning at a fast rate, then not catching them and injuring their skin.

“I think parents need to educate their children about the danger of these,” UCLA’s Dr. Nina Shapiro told CBS News recently. “So I think just not to give these to younger children, children under six, and for older children to really explain that these are toys, but they also have risks. They should not be put in their mouths, they should not be taken apart.”

Many fidget spinner trick videos have become popular on YouTube, with some of the more dangerous ones balancing them on their face, bouncing them on their fingers or even playing with spinners that have sharp blades for bearings.

While some parents are wary of their children playing with fidget spinners, there have been reports of the toys being helpful for kids with autism, ADD, or ADHD for focusing in the classroom. Others haven’t been as convinced about fidget spinners being a useful educational tool.

Meanwhile, fidget spinners have declined in popularity regarding Google Trends over the past month. Fidget spinners were at the peak of their popularity among those searching the term on Google on May 6, but it has been a gradual decline since. Compared to just one month ago, interest in the toy on Google has dropped by about two-thirds. While fidget spinners are still very popular among today’s youth and even some adults, but it remains to be seen how much interest there will be by the end of 2017.

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