#172, Fad
Not too long ago, classrooms all across the world hummed the sweet tune of near frictionless metal on metal rotation. These utterly useless little creations served no purpose other than to spin. Spin to cool oneself off from the summer heat? Spin to propel a car forward? Spin to conserve the angular momentum due to the accretion disk of a cloud of hydrogen that collapsed down from mutual gravity? No, it stops at the infinitive. To spin.
Fidget spinners have since departed classrooms around the world and trending on YouTube. Yet the memory of them is a strong reminder of the power of fads. More recent fads include Heelys, long puffer jackets, rabbit ear hats, and selfie sticks. *shudder*
fad n. an intense and widely shared enthusiasm for something, especially one that is short-lived and without basis in the object's qualities
When I was younger, I owned an electronic egg-shaped device called a Tamagotchi. After the device is started, a tiny creature hatches from an egg. As its owner you must feed it, play with it, clean up after it, and discipline it or else—it dies. That's it. This was the coolest item any teenager could have for a good two years of my life. Then all of the sudden they were lame and we quietly wondered how we could have ever thought they were to cool to begin with.
To complete this Journal response, address the following:
Describe a fad you or someone you knew took part in. The more embarrassing/cringy the better.
Comment on a peer's response.
-Brenden Lee Teacher