The constant distraction of social media could prevent our minds from sinking into a deeper, more complete sense of boredom, according to a new study. Which is a pity in view of the total boredom can be fertile ground for innovations.
This “deep” boredom is different from the initial, superficial boredom we experience when waiting at a bus stop or waiting for a TV show to start. But this initial dive into monotony can be immediately dispelled with a check on Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok or Facebook, so that our boredom never crosses into a zone of creativity.
“Deep boredom may sound like an overwhelmingly negative concept, but in fact, when people are given the chance to think and thrive without disruption, it can be extremely positive.” says Timothy Hillsociologist at the University of Bath in Great Britain.
“We have to recognize that the Pandemic was a tragic, destructive, draining experience for thousands of less fortunate people, but we all know the stories of those who have been in lockdown and found new hobbies, careers or directions in life.
Hill and his colleagues studied the lives of 15 people who were either granted paid time off from work or asked to work from home during the year Coronavirus Pandemic. The participants, who were all from England or the Republic of Ireland, varied in age, occupation and educational background.
Structured interviews were conducted with the participants, in which they explained how they spent their time during the pandemic and how they felt about it. While boredom kept coming, it was often counteracted by social media and so-called doom scrolling.
Those involved in the study who experienced deeper, more profound boredom found that it produced feelings of restlessness and emptiness. However, there has also been a renewed attempt to fill that void: passions such as carpentry, baking and cycling have been discovered or rediscovered during the pandemic.
The researchers stress that many people don’t have the luxury of sitting around and doing nothing for long periods of time – and that social media can be crucial for maintaining relationships with family and friends. However, they say there is an important point to note about how social media influences our thinking.
“The problem we observed was that social media can alleviate superficial boredom, but this distraction saps time and energy and can prevent people from entering a state of deep boredom where they could discover new passions.” says hill.
This notion of superficial boredom and deep boredom is from the past almost 100 years to a series of lectures by German philosophers Martin Heidegger. Heidegger suggested that boredom is an enormously important part of life and one that needs to be cultivated.
It’s interesting that in the decades since, we’ve evolved more and more ways to avoid boredom: our minds can now be distracted 24/7, thanks to social media and everything else that smartphones, tablets, and computers offer. You never really have to stop and lose yourself in thought if you don’t want to.
other studies also suggested that boredom and the mind wandering that comes with it is a crucial basis for creativity, which is why so many good ideas come to us in the shower. The researchers behind this latest study plan to dig deeper into the topic.
“This research has given us a window to understand how the always-on, 24/7 culture and devices that promise a wealth of information and entertainment can fix our surface boredom but actually prevent us from doing more meaningful things.” to find.” says hill. “Anyone who does a digital detox might be on the right track.”
The research was published in marketing theory.
