What are silly bandz anyway?

So Evan came home from school wearing more than a dozen of these seemingly simple rubber bands on his wrists the other day.  Is anyone else baffled by the obsession of this rapidly growing fad?  They are rubber bands, people!  Well, I know they hold their shape well and are shaped like animals and things, but really, do they "do" anything useful?  Kinda reminds me of those '80s bracelets or maybe even a little thing called the "beanie baby."   I just foresee these things getting eaten by the vacuum cleaner in the days ahead!  Haha!

Well, I guess if they are successful as an incentive for good behavior, I am all for that.  Evan said he was rewarded with these treasures for sleeping at school.  I take it there has been some trouble with non-sleepers in the 3s and 4s room lately!  I can guarantee my boy causes no trouble in that department!  Ha!