Fidget spinners are pretty much this year’s Pokemon Go in that everyone was talking about them for about a month and now they’ve dropped off the face of the planet. But over in Russia they’re just starting to speak about them and it’s not sounding so good.

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Whilst the toys were criticised in the US for being easily breakable and thus a danger to children, over in Russia they’re being criticised as they see them as a tool for anti-government protesters. Apparently several Russian media outlets have begun saying the following, translations that have been confirmed by Russian journalist Alexey Kovaley:

A fidget spinner makes a person impressionable for manipulation.

Probably it is no coincidence that they started selling the spinners at events by the non-systemic opposition and recent protests against the Kremlin.

https://twitter.com/Alexey__Kovalev/status/885120053779324928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.idahostatesman.com%2Fnews%2Fnation-world%2Fworld%2Farticle161617753.html

I mean maybe? I can see how you might sell someone a fidget spinner to distract them from something, but I don’t think they’re really going to mould people’s minds against the Russian government. Just maybe cause them not to pay attention or miss some information.

Seems like a pretty damn stupid idea that people are actively selling them to manipulate other people against the government. I’m just not sure how that could possibly even work? It sounds like something out of 1984 – although I suppose there’s an argument that we’re living in similar times at the moment there isn’t there?

For more fidget spinners, check out this story about a ten year old girl who nearly died from her fidget spinner obsession. That is something that happened, yeah.