The Power Of Boredom

I was listening to Joe Rogan's podcast a while back and wanted to talk about a very good point he made: kids don't experience boredom like they used to. They don't often experience it at all because of the electronic devices that they have access to. These devices are a doorway to the internet which has endless amounts of entertainment. This is great in one sense because it's easy to stumble upon a passion on the internet and interact with like-minded people all over the world. On the other hand, the internet is a breeding ground for ignorance and mindless entertainment. Take the genius who filmed the suicide forest in Japan for example. That's a topic for another day. Today I'd like to touch on why boredom can be amazing.

How many people have realized that they had a knack for drawing because they randomly started doodling? How many people have discovered that they can fix things because they love tinkering? Sure, idle hands are the devil's playground but that's also when they're at their best from a discovery perspective. They're wondering, exploratory and curious. Perhaps putting down Angry Birds in favor of a guitar, could lead to an ambition or dream in the making.

There's also something to be said about the mind when it's idle. When you're bored, you activate a network in your brain called the "default mode." This mode is actually where our brain solves a lot of problems. Can't figure something out? Go for a walk. Turn your phone off for 30 minutes and just observe your surroundings. You'd be surprised at the increased likelihood of a eureka moment occuring.

The issue is, with the invention of the smartphone, boredom has essentially been eliminated. People rarely strike up conversations in waiting rooms or on the bus. They simply look at an article or social media. Or even worse, they pretend to look at their phone so that they avoid interactions with other human beings (I'm an introvert so I'm being 100% hypocritical here). Pretending or not, the frequency of introspection is decreased significantly. If you're glued to your iPad, your chances of thinking about trying something new for the simple reason of "something to do" declines.

Luckily, a good chunk of the population has some self-awareness when it comes to this topic. Many apps have been developed around monitoring the frequency of checking your phone. Earlier this year, Google even announced a new suite of tools for the newest Android OS that will help users better manage their screen time. New modes such as an enhanced "do not disturb" mode and a "wind down" mode helps promote what the developers refer to as meaningful engagement. It's great that tech giants are starting to assist with the problem of technology's addictive nature. It's a problem that needs to be addressed collectively so that we can go back to having the beautiful problem of being bored.

So, take some time and choose to be bored for an hour or two. I know it's not easy for anyone to clear their calendars in this day and age, but maybe, just maybe, that little bit of introspection will be the catalyst for something amazing.