They were cool, they were hip, they were the “in” thing, and they lasted all of three months. They were fads.
Slap on a bracelet, flip a water bottle, hug your Beanie Babies tight and join me as I take a look at seven huge youth-driven fads (with some old people getting into it) from the mid-1980s until today. I examine the background behind each, some of its effects, why they were often banned from schools, and how they died out.
Pop Culture Affidavit podcast page
And just for fun, here are the seven fads featured with some footage (where possible)
Bottle Flipping
Silly Bandz
Snopes article about “Sex Bracelets”
Tamagotchi
Beanie Babies
Pogs
Slap Bracelets
A couple of articles on slap bracelets from The New York Times
“Turning Profits Hand Over Wrist” (10/27/90)
“U.S. Consumer Panel Warns of Injury from Slap Bracelets” (10/30/90)
“Principal Puts a Halt to Slap Bracelet Fad” (10/11/90)
Garbage Pail Kids
Pop Culture Affidavit 