For kids and parents, when Silly Bandz hit the market, it felt like our worlds would never be the same. Reeling from the violent storm that was Silly Bandz furor, we dusted ourselves off and tried to make sense of what had happened to us. But, for those who by some miracle escaped the extensive reach of the mania, I will provide a quick recap of its gloriously short life. Silly Bandz are colorful rubber bands that come in a variety of shapes, including animals, letters and other objects recognizable by their silhouettes.
They are meant to be worn on the wrist, as a bracelet. However, most children were unable to confine their excitement to their wrists, often adorning entire forearms with the multicolored bands. After the bracelets hit stores in , however, the company grew to almost 3, staff members in the U.
Distraught children railed against the system as they watched many of their schools ban their precious Silly Bandz, condemning them as distractions.
The lucrative marketplace where the commodities were traded, which had once found a home in the schoolyard, now had to be taken underground. Then suddenly , six months later, the demand stalled. Stores were forced to offer two-for-one deals to get rid of the Silly Bandz, which only recently were flying off the shelves. Our indifference to SillyBandz came as swift as our infatuation, and to this day, none of us is quite sure why. The story of Silly Bandz is by no means unique.
A fad is a form of behavior such as buying and wearing Silly Bandz that enchants the public for a period of time. However, fads are relatively short-lived, usually wearing off after their novelty dies away. In this way, they are distinguishable from trends, which usually mark lasting changes in collective behavior because they address a specific need.
For example, if people suddenly become enamored with a specific brand of handbag, it would be considered a fad that is likely to die down. But when people started carrying handbags as a solution to the problem of having too much stuff to carry around, that was a trend that altered future human behavior.
Fads fade away into obscurity. Trends are here to stay. This was never confirmed by any actual kids. It reappeared briefly when Silly Bandz became popular and was just as baseless. Another rumor circulating around elementary schools claimed that Silly Bandz were made from recycled -- and used -- condoms. Never mind the practicality of throwing used condoms in the recycling bin; clearly, this one is unfounded [source: Silly Bandz ].
Some of the Silly Bandz rumors aren't so innocuous. In August , there were alarming reports that Silly Bandz were causing injury to kids by cutting off circulation to their hands and arms, while also causing skin irritation or even wounds. This story also came out virally after an image was disseminated through e-mail about a preschooler who had suffered such an injury.
Unfortunately, this one checks out. Although Silly Bandz themselves present no harm, it's certainly true that everything should be done in moderation. Wearing stacks and stacks of bracelets for days at a time can, in fact, affect circulation by causing a tourniquet-like constriction of blood vessels. The easy solution to this? Just wear a few bracelets for a short period of time.
Speaking of taking bands off, where exactly are we now in the craze? As of this writing, February , it would appear that Silly Bandz have exited the collective mind of schoolchildren as quickly as they entered it.
No longer are there breathless stories about them in the news, but they do still pop up on celebrities like the Kardashians and others. Attempting to really branch out, Silly Bandz even created a video game based on the popular bracelets [source: Neumeier ]. Kind of a stretch, even for rubber bands. So while the tail end of the fad appears to be upon us, don't you worry: Like most trends, there's always hope for a nostalgic or ironic comeback.
To learn lots more about trends and the strange things we do for fashion, snap on over to the next page. Sign up for our Newsletter! Mobile Newsletter banner close. Mobile Newsletter chat close. Mobile Newsletter chat dots. Mobile Newsletter chat avatar. Mobile Newsletter chat subscribe. How Silly Bandz Work. The Popularity of Silly Bandz Like all trends as hot as wildfire, this fashion trend started where almost all of them begin -- Alabama? Types of Silly Bandz " ". Image courtesy of NASA.
Silly Bandz Create Serious Brains It may not be entirely accurate that Silly Bandz are going to spark a lot of intellectual curiosity, but it's also true that there are redeemable educational moments to be found in the stretchy shapes. Banning, Burning and Banishing Bandz " ". Sources Berfield, Susan. June 14, Elastic bands have long been worn by youngsters, and the Lance Armstrong-inspired Livestrong wristbands sparked a mania for elastic awareness bracelets a few years ago.
So Silly Bandz are merely a development of what's gone before. An American named Robert Croak invented them, named them and marketed them as toys. There has also been a rap song made about them, which has been a minor YouTube hit. Their popularity has been boosted by some high-profile sightings, on the wrists of actress Sarah Jessica Parker, Agyness Deyn, and the food writer Anthony Bourdain have been spotted wearing the brightly-coloured bracelets between their Rolex watches and Tiffany bangles.
Some US schools have banned them from classrooms because they are too distracting for children eager to trade their collections, but some teachers have embraced them and offer them as rewards for good grades and behaviour. But they're only bits of rubber, so what's the big deal?
Claire Wood, spokeswoman for British retailer firebox. She thinks the way they are swapped and exchanged will prolong their appeal.
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