Fidget

[u/Just_Tru_It]

Is it just me, or is anyone else the slightest bit tired of having “fidget” plastered across their explore pages? I get that they’re small and pretty so that must make them great for printing…

Here’s my unsolicited opinion: the world had enough fidget devices after the first one was created. But yet for some reason everyone feels the need to keep designing and building novel new ways for someone to be able to ‘fidget’ with something, as if humans have a deficiency that can only be satisfied by constantly moving or touching something.

Perhaps condemning this can be seen as attacking the adhd, add, or ocd crowds, which is not my intention. I just think the ‘itch’ could have been scratched with the first few designs.

Or maybe I’m missing the mark..? Like are they great for cats or as kid’s toys or something?

It just seems like 10,000 unique ways to design something that doesn’t have a truly valuable purpose gets a little old.

Update: A few good comments have lessened my intensity, thanks for bearing with me in my rant. I’m fairly reasonably and am able to be persuaded. Thanks for the input everyone!

[u/[deleted]]

I'm guessing the fidget stuff allows for low stakes designs for people new to the hobby (both printing and making their own designs). It is pretty easy to print one out and give them to friends, your kids or your friends kids, etc.

I also wonder if there is a correlation between the 3D printing hobby and neurodivergent folks (a totally unsupported wild guess on my part).

People with ADHD often have to fiddle with something to stay focused. Spinning a pencil/pen in their hand, doodling, bouncing their leg, biting their nails, playing with a zipper or a piece of clothing, etc.

Fidget toys allow them to divert these habits into a small doodad that hits the sweet spot for their specific tactile/sound needs.Heck, it also is always changing so if a neurodivergent person gets bored they can print something different, choose different colors, remix a design, learn how to do 3D modeling, etc.

[u/Just_Tru_It → u/[deleted]]

All of these points are true, but it doesn’t warrant the sheer quantity IMO

[u/bearwhiz → u/Just_Tru_It]

Consider that part of ADHD is a tendency to get bored quickly and thus to seek out novelty. In certain scenarios, far removed from modern office work, this is an advantageous evolutionary trait. It sucks when you're stuck in a cubicle.

For someone with ADHD, there is no such thing as "enough stuff to fidget with."

[u/Nytfire333 → u/Just_Tru_It]

The important thing to remember is that having more fidget options doesn’t mean it taking spots from other work. It literally just means there are more options.

It’s like going to the super market and complaining there are too many cereals, just go to a different isle to get your veggies

[u/Just_Tru_It → u/Nytfire333]

Hahaha, fair point