Fidget trends frequently cycle through schools every few years, and these trends can be seen in Blue Valley. Around ten years ago, it seemed like there was a fidget spinner in the hand of every student. Now, it feels like everyone at BVN has a NeeDoh or even a collection of them. The rise in NeeDoh popularity has left me wondering, why are they so popular and do they have a positive impact?
Out of 174 votes on a poll on the @bvnnews Instagram, 59% of voters voted “yes”, indicating that they have a NeeDoh. This means that the majority of BVN students own at least one NeeDoh, which is not a surprise considering how often I see these fidgets in the building. As a NeeDoh owner myself, I understand their popularity. First of all, they’re relatively cheap, depending on which one you get. I have a small Nice Cube and it was only about two dollars. Their affordability likely plays into their trendiness because who wouldn’t want a cheap and satisfying fidget? Also, they are reliable. I haven’t had a NeeDoh pop and I’ve only seen someone else’s pop once, whereas I have seen countless other squishy fidgets pop and make a mess. Being able to fidget with a NeeDoh in class without fear of it popping is definitely a positive for both the students and the teachers.
As for their impact, I’ve seen only positives from the NeeDoh trend. For many students, they are a discreet and helpful fidget during class as they generally don’t make any noise and are fairly small. As I mentioned before, they are also not usually messy because even if they do pop, most of them are filled with a solid gel that’s just sticky and can be thrown away. The only negative aspect of the trend I could find is that, according to NBC News associate Storey Wertheimer, a hospital in Illinois has already seen four burns resulting from NeeDohs this year due to heating them up in the microwave, for example. So, NeeDohs can become dangerous when heated, but I’ve seen only positives when they are used as intended.
Overall, like many other fidget trends we’ve seen in the past, I think NeeDohs will come and go. For the time being, though, they are fun and, if used correctly, harmless fidgets that can help students, or really anyone, focus or relax. The question is, what fidget will be next?
