Youth Voice – Boredom benefits

It’s become a bit of a cliché to complain about young people and their phones. I’m sure it’s a familiar image to most of us; the hunchbacked teenager, phone practically moulded to their hand. I’ve been this same teenager many times, letting the social media giants waste away my hours. Most of the time, it happens for one simple reason: I’m bored.

Boredom is an uncomfortable feeling, and to admit to it seems a bit childish. Interestingly, American psychologist Robert Plutchik defines boredom as a less intense version of disgust, teenagers’ favourite emotion. Disgust compels us to avoid things that we find unpleasant. In the same way, boredom pushes us away from the unpleasantness of doing nothing and towards action. Our brains need stimulation, and boredom can cause us to find it in anything, whether it be cleaning the dishes, doing chores (don’t let my parents find out), or scrolling social media. 

Without boredom, nothing pushes us to find new experiences. I know, for example, in my own friend group, it can be a struggle to get friends together. The energy-consuming activities of going to the beach or playing football often don’t compare to the effortless cure for boredom sitting right in your pocket. It seems books are a thing of the past, too. I can’t even remember the last time a study partner chose the weekly readings over doomscrolling.

There is, however, a wave of realisation spreading across the youth community, especially among older teens. Youth are recognising the harm social media has on their lives. I’ve seen young people trying to self-regulate by removing bright, clickbait colours from their apps and setting time limits on their phones. Some have even bought lockboxes to physically stop themselves from scrolling. Personally, I’ve replaced short-form content with longer videos that demand more patience, and I’ve found I spend less time on my phone this way. More young people are placing limits on their social media use, and several of my friends have deleted the apps altogether. In their place, youth are coming to terms with boredom and starting to discover the world around them that they had neglected. It’s encouraging to see young people realise that a cure for boredom, one swipe away, has a negative effect on their lives.

I encourage younger teenagers, and even those outside the youth community, to take some time away from social media and your phone. Maybe following the examples of the youth mentioned above can help limit your time, or you might have your own methods. Either way, next time you feel bored, pick up a book, draw a picture, or just sit with your thoughts. There’s an old saying that I think captures this perfectly: “Don’t forget to stop and smell the roses.”