Chris Hardy--Tifinnie Baumann proudly displays her Silly Bandz collection.
Most students can remember the trends of their youth. Whether it be Pogs, Pokémon or Rubik’s Cubes there was something fascinating.
Recently, people of all ages have been collecting rubber bands shaped like everything from dinosaurs to celebrities. These rubber bands, known as Silly Bandz, are meant to be worn on the wrist like a bracelet and are quite popular with today’s youth.
Silly Bandz come in packs of either 24 for $4.95 or 36 for $6.95, plus shipping, on the Silly Bandz web site: www.sillybandz.com
They can also be bought in stores such as Toys R Us, 99¢ Store or Target. Quizno’s is also jumping on the bandwagon by offering Silly Bandz with the purchase of a kid’s meal.
Some students at California Baptist University have been seen wearing them around campus. The Focus Coordinators even gave each Focus leader Silly Bandz in their welcome gift.
Joey Garcia, sophomore and applied theology major, has gotten a lot of his Silly Bandz from kids who he works with at The Grove Community Church’s junior high youth group, “The Refuge.”
“The junior highers are going crazy with Silly Bandz,” Garcia said. “Their arms are like covered with them.”
But some students disagree.
“I strongly dislike them,” Tracy Pallares, freshmen and liberal studies major said. “They are cheap rubber thingies, made for teenage trend followers.”
Silly Bandz are great conversations starters. Others want to know what shape you are wearing on your wrist, and the story behind how you got it. Kids collect hundreds of Silly Bandz if not thousands, and trade them with their schoolmates.
“I thought [the trend] was kind of dumb at first, but after seeing how fast it’s growing, I now know I can use Silly Bandz in junior high ministry,” Garcia said. “It’s kinda cool how something so simple can be so effective and have so much power.”
Some schools, however, have banned bringing Silly Bandz to school because they cause a distraction and prevent students from learning. Students also fight over Silly Bandz that their peers have.
Silly Bandz are not only drawing the attention of young children, but also that of adults as well. Since these rubber bands are such great conversations starters single men and women have begun using them to flirt.
This growing trend does not stop at rubber band bracelets. The creators of Silly Bandz sell Silly Ringz, Silly Necklaces and Silly Caribinerz, key rings, on their web site.
