Reflections

Silly Bandz – Should They Be Banned From School?

Posted by on Jun 2, 2010 | 15 Comments

The latest school age craze is called Silly Bandz which is taking the country by storm. Grade school kids are trading the Silly Bandz similar to the way baseball cards were once traded. But now some school administrators are saying that the Silly Bandz are causing a distraction in schools and some are banning them from the class room. Some schools in N.Y., PA. and Texas have already banned the toys as distractions in the classroom and more schools may follow with their own bans.

So what are Silly Band? They come in 24 packs of various shapes that kids slip over their arms, legs, where ever on their bodies and because of their slim size [they are the size of a rubber band] can wear hundreds at a time.

These Silly Bandz are called Fun Shapes

There are a wide variety of different shapes available and sell for about $5 for a pack of 24. Some of the silly brands cost more such as the dinosaur collection that commands a price of $10 for a pack of 24. [Prices are approximate].

So what do you think? Should these be banned from schools? They look fairly harmless to me.

Comments welcome.

Source

  • http://thedigitaldragon.net/ Nephi Shields

    Just another trend.

  • D

    Anything which makes a teacher’s job more difficult should be banned. If the object is a cell phone…video game or these…the parents shouldn’t be allowing anything which takes from the educational experience. It’s hard enough needing to deal with kids with limited/no attention span.

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  • Eric L.

    The kids today aren’t aloud to pledge allegiance and be proud of the country they live in… why should they have to do something and be able to do stuff that we did back in school? That’s right silly me, there are so many groups that are trying to prevent kids from having any form of respect for their country and the values that it was raised from, and they also don’t want our kids to have any form of fun while in school. Collecting band or any other form of trading and collecting might be construed as a hobby, making or having friends, teaching the kids to share, or being able to collect or save anything…. maybe that’s why young adults are having money issues today? don’t know… I can think of a thousand other things that kids could be trading, and bracelets don’t seem to be something that needs a lot of time spent on disciplining. Maybe the teachers are just jealous they never got any bracelets or cards when they were in school because they were such outcasts and no one liked them….so now the teachers can have their revenge. None the less seems pretty petty and if I knew my tax dollars where being wasted by a teacher taking time away from teaching to discipline a kid for trading a bracelet, I’d definitely be at the next school meeting voicing my opinion about it and if not corrected, I’d be pulling my kid out of that school.

    • http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/blade/ Ron Schenone

      Heh Eric,
      I agree. I’d rather have the kids playing with Silly Bandz instead of AK-47′s!

  • Buffet

    Five dollars for twenty-four rubber bands??? Apparently P.T. Barnum was right. That being said, this is America. Why, and more to the point, how, can they ban “silly rubbers bands”? With the exception of the exorbitant price, I see absolutely no harm in them. They’re neither lethal, toxic, nor ugly. This banning at the drop of a hat bullshit has to cease. Leave the kids alone! If those imbiciles must ban something, how about starting with hatred and prejudice? If them cats can’t see the big picture, maybe they should get new glasses.

    • http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/blade/ Ron Schenone

      Hi Buffet,
      I wish I would of thought of the idea. Maybe we could come up with a pet …… rock! LOL

  • JDubia

    “Teacher leave them kids alone!”
    Is the school administration’s job to make sure that children are as miserable as possible? I played and collected marbles when I was in elementary school. My kids collected garbage pail kid cards. It is how we learned how to trade, socialize, & play with our fellow classmates.

  • http://www.tabledit.com Keith G. Saturn

    I see both sides of this issue.

    Yeah, when I was a kid, marbles and trading cards were the thing. When my son was in school Giga-Pets and anything Pokemon were unstoppable.

    I appreciate the social and economic lessons that a token economy imparts to students.

    On the other hand, when these distractions are present in the classroom, they are, well, distracting.

    There is a time and place for everything, toys, games and hobbies belong at recess and during free periods. They should be put away during classroom time. If they come out during classroom time, then the teacher needs to enforce whatever classroom or school policy is in place.

    Banning is a short cut to teaching self control.

    Keith.

    • http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/blade/ Ron Schenone

      Hi Keith,
      Good points.
      Regards, Ron

  • http://www.tabledit.com Keith G. Saturn

    Rather, I meant:

    Banning “short cuts” teaching self control. As in, it removed the opportunity to learn a valuable life skill.

    (ah, re-reading after posting…)

  • thomas

    I think it should be banned..these things won’t last long.
    remember the tamagotchi? kids used to put them around their neck and they got banned from most schools..now how often you see them?

  • http://google silly band

    I think that silly bandz should be bannned from school because the kids r collecting them and trying to trade them in class. they should be tacken away if played with in school.all of them that they have.i think they should stay at home.i love them and collect them, but i don’t get in trouble!!!

  • Ashley L.

    Eric L-
    I’m not sure what school your children attend, but I teach at a middle school in which we say the Pledge of Allegiance each morning. Our school has not banned silly bands, however I have asked that students keep them on their wrists during class. If a student is playing with the bands or (and this is really the issue) shooting the bands around the classroom, I reserve the right to confiscate the bands and return them to their parent. I’m sure you realize that your characterization of teachers is petulant (parts of your post resembled things my seventh graders write). I can only imagine that you mean to cause some kind of wave by attacking when you were asked an unrelated question. Perhaps, if my students are required to pay attention in class, they will learn to properly respond to a discussion prompt.

  • Coco

    I think that they should be in class , because they are taking away from the children’s education.