Americans have experienced their share of fads through the years.

Older seniors may remember the goldfish swallowing craze that engaged a generation beginning in 1939 when Harvard freshman Lothrop Withington Jr. swallowed a goldfish on a $10 bet.That event touched off a firestorm of publicity and for the next three months, students were gulping down goldfish in record numbers despite protests from Massachusetts state lawmakers and federal public health officials. Some school officials even threatened expulsion for the stunt.Fads enjoyed a golden age during the 1950s and 1960s. The Wham-O Company introduced the Pluto Platter in 1957, which is better known by its more popular name - the Frisbee.The company had another blockbuster hit on its hands in the mid 1960s when the Superball bounced off the production line in great numbers, selling close to 7 million bouncy balls in just six months. Even President Lyndon Johnson bought at least 60 for White House staffers to use as stress-relieving devices."Uncle Milton" Levine turned the lowly ant into his bonanza. He modified a clear plastic tissue box into a prototype for the ant farm and between 1956 and 1966, sold 12 million of them.Another novelty that brought pure profit to "inventor" Joaquin Hernandez was the Mexican Jumping Bean, which he introduced in the 1940s. The Jumping Beans are actually moth larvae trapped in seedpods so there was little production overhead. Millions of the beans have sold over the last three quarters of a century.Wham-O, the same company that gave us the Frisbee and Superball, also struck gold in 1958 when it did some tweaking on a 14th century craze out of England - hooping. While the English used wooden and metal hoops, Wham-O released its "futuristic" model in plastic. The company sold 25 millions in only four months.Though there seems to be little danger in rolling the hips, the hooping craze was creating some health concerns 500 years ago. English doctors saw an influx of patients suffering from pain and dislocated backs due to the activity and some even stressed to the point of heart failure.That brings us to the latest craze of our day - Pokémon Go. Initially released in selected countries last month, it has became a global phenomenon, having been downloaded by more than 100 million people worldwide. Players use a mobile device's GPS capability to locate, capture, battle, and train virtual creatures, called Pokémon, who appear on the screen as if they were in the same real-world location as the player.On the plus side it has popularized reality gaming, as well as promote some outside physical activity. It has also, however, created controversy for contributing to accidents and become a public nuisance at some locations. Police departments in a number of countries have issued warnings due to inattentive driving and trespassing.Some people have been targeted by criminals who realize the players are unaware of their surroundings. Three weeks ago, an 18-year-old Guatemalan was shot and killed while playing the game and his 17-year-old cousin was also shot in the foot. Police believed the shooters used the game's GPS capability to find the two.A university in Cairo, Egypt, termed the game as "harmful mania" while a defense and national security official regarded it as an espionage tool. Kuwait banned the game from government sites and Indonesian officials also considered it a national security threat.Israel Defense Forces also banned the game from Army bases for security reasons.Nikolai Nikiforov, Russia's Minister of Communications and Mass Media, suspected foreign intelligence agencies using the application to collect information.Some religious groups have even taken an extreme social view and labeled it demonic.Last week, Arizona police say a couple abandoned their 2-year-old boy at home to play Pokémon Go. After the toddler wandered out of the house and into the 96-degree heat, a neighbor called 911. Deputies found the child crying outside the home, trying to get in.The couple had allegedly left the boy sleeping so they could drive to various parks and other areas while playing Pokémon Go. Both parents face charges of child endangerment and neglect.Bottom line is there can be at least some danger associated with a mobile reality game that requires physical exertion or tests the patience of property owners. Last week's child neglect case in Arizona would at least qualify under the Egyptian standard of "harmful mania."By JIM ZBICK |

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