Schools: Let’s Ban Silly Bandz – No, All Jewelry

Image by glassblower via flickr

Fashions are ever-changing, from the latest shirts to the trendiest jeans, but they don’t just apply to clothing. At one point, many long-haired girls doll up their ponytails with the so-called “scrunchies,” and in some cases, some dyed theirs in whatever length in wild, unnatural colors. Even jewelry, speaking of the style, changes with the times.

The latest accessory popular with preteens and kids known as the so-called “Silly Bandz” is no exception. But teachers, alas, are cracking down on the rubberized, silicone shapes in the likes of alphabet letters (including the “D’s” and “F’s”), animals, princesses, and sports. I know several reasons why they are putting them on the dress-code blacklist: expense, envy, and on top of that, curricular distraction.

First of all, many parents think that the bands are expensive, and it’s true if you buy different packs of 24 shapes each. As you may know, not all children are born and raised rich – those from a poorer neighborhood or home may not get as much Silly Bandz as their more affluent peers. They feel so left out in the cold, as if they are uncool, or as if they are “dweebs.”

Following the trends in fashion or toys  is like keeping up with the Joneses at a juvenile level. The expense also incites tantrums, a vital trait of the nag factor in which children scream and cry until the parent purchases their product they want. That leads to another factor – envy. Kids with the latest fads brag a lot – they boast about how many bands they have or how “cool” they look compared to others.

Finally, schools ban the silicone animal outlines in hyper-bright colors just because they are just too distracting to begin with. The bands provide visual overkill, and their colors and shapes make you turn your eyes on the wearer and not the instructor. If you’re in band and wearing the Silly Bandz, for example, chances are that what you’re wearing may interfere with your instrument, especially if you play a woodwind instrument such as the flute. Also, some students flick at them, causing unnecessary sounds during the learning processes. The primary reason why teachers draw the line on the colorful shapes is because they interfere with the curriculum.

Are schools adding Silly Bands to the growing list of no-nos of their dress codes? Because of how utterly distracting they are, they are more likely outcasting them alongside jelly bracelets, chains, and studs. All schools ban body piercings, save for earrings, but some of them (especially if it’s a Christian or other private school) only allow stud or small hoop styles.

But if they ban those color silicone bracelets, they might as well ban all jewelry from their classrooms – no longer would girls wear their rings on their fingers, pendants, bracelets of any kind (the bands included), or necklaces. The children would rather just wear solid-colored, sleeved, collared shirts with no logo but their school’s (all tucked-in), wear black, navy, or khaki bottoms knee-length or longer with belt loops, wear solid-colored and closed-toed shoes in brown, black, or white, and wear just black and white hair accessories with not glitter or gleam. If they ban jewelry outright, how can they express individuality?

Yes, they can ban Silly Bandz if they want, but only if they do not comply with the school spirit. They are OK – as long as they can be sold in custom-made shapes and school colors for fundraising purposes or worn only in football games or the last day of school if no exams are issued. Then again, they can allow certain, acceptable kinds of jewelry in their classrooms, but not all kinds, Silly Bandz or not, can be admitted.

(Written in response to Jo Oliver’s article, “Banning Silly Bandz“)

Related Reading:
Silly Bandz Banned – What’s a Schoolkid to Do?
A Ban on Silly Bandz
School Bans Silly Bandz Rubber Band Bracelets
Silly Bandz: So Cool, They’re Banned (VIDEO)