Fidget spinners might possibly be this generation’s pet rocks. It’s not entirely clear who came up with this idea but it’s been a hit. These small, silly little devices are now available everywhere. They are advertised as a way to deal with anxiety though it seems the person who created it just wanted to make an annoying co-worker stop fidgeting. Anxiety itself is a far more serious issue that a toy alone can’t cure. If you’ve been curious as to their efficacy but didn’t want to buy one, you’re in luck. There is now a Google fidget spinner that you can access in Chrome.
Open Chrome or the Google Search app on your Android phone, or on iOS, or even your desktop. Type Spinner in the search bar and tap go. The search results will feature news and articles about fidget spinners but at the very top of the results is your very own fidget spinner.
The Google Fidget Spinner has two faces; the usual three pronged version that you can buy in physical form from stores and online and a wheel divided into numbered segments. Tap the ‘Number’ switch at the top of the card to switch between these two faces.
You can use your finger to spin the spinner or tap ‘Spin’ at the bottom of the card to make it start spinning on its own while you watch.
This is one of those Google Easter eggs that the company adds every now and then. It is of course meant to be a tiny game that you can play in Chrome. It’s not actually meant to help you with your anxiety.
Before you start criticizing the Google fidget spinner or Google for attempting to make an Easter egg out of fidget spinners when you’ve already had enough of them, we should tell you that Google is hardly the first in line to do this. There are countless apps already available for both iOS and Android that give you a virtual fidget spinner on your device. There aren’t just apps but also games and clothing out there with these little toys printed on them.
As much as we’d all like for silly fads like this to go away, they can and do turn into fun harmless games. On a more serious note, if you suffer from anxiety, don’t buy toys. Get help and take mental health as well as your own well-being seriously.
