Both kids and adults across the nation can be found sporting a rainbow of thin stretchy bracelets in a broad array of shapes from everything to sea animals ice cream cones or Justin Bieber. The Silly Bandz craze has officially become the hottest toy trend among people of all ages. Parents fight over limited supplies and celebrities request personalized packages but some schools are banning them.
Malibu’s Webster Elementary is among the growing number of schools that have decided to put a ban on the trend. But why are schools seeing little rubber bracelets as such a threat?
“The school sees them as a distraction explained Melissa Stein, Malibu mom of a first-grader and a fourth-grader. Kids are trading them in the middle of class and it’s stirring up a lot of unnecessary drama when they should really be focused on learning.”
By banning Silly Bandz schools are trying to prevent added disruption to their already challenging job of maintaining focus in the classroom. At Webster kids were reportedly ending up in tears on the playground over someone stealing their Silly Bandz making an unfair trade or even just having one that someone else wanted.
Many kids seem to be enjoying the craze.
“They’re really cute and fun. My favorites are in the princess pack and most of my friends have those too. When one of them has a Silly Band that I want we normally trade or sometimes she will just give it to me Stein’s fourth-grade daughter, Julia, explained.
For the most part, parents at Webster Elementary seem to comply with the recent rule regarding the Bandz. The letter sent home indicated that the reason for the ban was in the best interest of the students, and its intentions were simply to prevent distractions and unnecessary bickering among peers.
This fad is not just popular among elementary school students— many students at Pepperdine are rocking the colorful rubber bands and having just as much fun with them. People all over campus can be spotted wearing them, some even all the way up their arms. Originally targeted toward children, this product is one of the only trends that is so versatile that adults can enjoy them as well.
They’re innovative and definitely not like anything else that has come out before. I really enjoy them and it’s fun to buy one pack of farm animals and end up with sea creatures princesses and baseball bats on your wrist senior Rachel Pennant said.
Adding to their popularity and demand, Silly Bandz are inexpensive (just $3 for a pack of 12, and $5 for a pack of 24). This is potentially why they are so appealing to college-aged students; it’s a trend they can keep up with without breaking the bank.
The most interesting thing about the craze is the lack of advertisement involved in increasing its fame. The popularity of Silly Bandz has simply spread through word of mouth, which separates them from the Pokémon cards and Beanie Babies of the 1990s.
The wide variety of shapes is what keeps the Silly Bandz so appealing; there is a pack suitable for anyone’s interests. On your wrist they seem simple, but it’s what they become off the wrist that makes them so genius. Despite the success of the product, some view it as a temporary obsession that is bound to be over with the year.
They’re really cool and stuff but just like Pogs and Beanie Babies they’ll end up stored away and pretty much useless in a matter of time junior Tim Nguyen said. That’s why these trends are not really smart investments especially for college students. I know Sillly Bandz are cheap but why would you want a bunch of colorful rubber bands laying around after the trend has come and gone?”
Although some Webster Elementary students are upset about not being able to wear their Silly Bandz to school Stein predicts a new obsession will be on the rise in a matter of no time.
“That’s how these things work. Parents purchase them as if they won’t be around forever and then before they know it they’re not cool anymore because something else has taken over Stein said. It’s an ongoing cycle and the school is just trying to keep distractions in check with this one. They’ll have something new to ban before long and the Silly Bandz madness will be over.”
