In a world where we have constant access to entertainment and information, one might expect boredom to become a relic of the past. But recent research suggests otherwise. Boredom, rather than disappearing, seems to be on the rise. According to a perspective published in Communications Psychology, people are reporting higher levels of boredom today than they did a decade ago.
Researchers Katy Tam and Michael Inzlicht, psychologists at the University of Toronto, zoomed in on this paradox. The duo proposes that the very technology designed to captivate us is, in fact, contributing to our growing sense of ennui.
“Digital media increases boredom through dividing attention, elevating desired levels of engagement, reducing a sense of meaning, and serving as an ineffective boredom coping strategy,” they argue in their paper.
The Rise of Boredom in the Digital Age
It wasn’t supposed to be like this. For generations, people turned to television, books, or simply gazed out a window when they were bored. Today, with the touch of a finger, we can stream movies, scroll through social media, or immerse ourselves in online games. Yet, according to studies from both the U.S. and China, feelings of boredom have surged between 2009 and 2020, particularly among younger people.
In the U.S., a study involving over 100,000 secondary school students revealed a noticeable increase in boredom levels, especially after 2010. Researchers noted that adolescents frequently rated themselves as “often bored,” with the trend intensifying over the years. Across the globe, in China, a meta-analysis of college students found that boredom proneness — a tendency to frequently feel bored — has also increased sharply over the last decade.
So, what’s going on? The answer may lie in our relationship with our digital devices.
Tam and Inzlicht suggest that while digital technology offers endless entertainment, it’s also pushing our boredom thresholds higher. Smartphones and social media bombard us with notifications and fragmented content, pulling our attention in different directions. The result is that our minds, constantly flitting between apps and videos, struggle to focus. This constant distraction, rather than alleviating boredom, makes it worse.
In fact, research shows that simply having a smartphone nearby can lower your cognitive capacity, even if it’s not actively being used. “Digital devices intensify boredom by disrupting attention,” the researchers explain. When our attention is divided, we lose the ability to become fully immersed in any one activity. And when that happens, boredom seeps in.
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Moreover, our expectations for engagement have skyrocketed. We are now so accustomed to the rapid dopamine hits provided by social media and streaming platforms that the slower, more meaningful activities — like reading a book or simply sitting quietly admiring the scenery — no longer satisfy us.
Why It’s Hard to Escape the Cycle
It’s not just the overwhelming amount of content that’s the issue. The researchers argue that digital media creates a feedback loop that exacerbates boredom. When people feel bored, they turn to their phones for a quick fix. But instead of feeling satisfied, they often end up feeling even more restless. “Digital media use, rather than reducing boredom, causally increases it,” the study notes.
This cycle is particularly troubling for younger generations (i.e. Gen Z) who have grown up surrounded by digital screens. Instead of learning how to cope with boredom constructively — by engaging in creative activities or self-reflection — they tend to seek constant stimulation. This reliance on devices might be why boredom is becoming a chronic issue, linked to mental health struggles like anxiety and depression.
That’s not to say that boredom is inherently bad. In fact, it can be a catalyst for creativity and self-reflection. But when people use digital media to avoid boredom, they miss out on these benefits. “Boredom serves an important self-regulatory function,” Tam and Inzlicht explain. It’s a signal that something is missing, prompting us to seek more meaningful engagement.
The challenge, then, is not to eliminate digital devices from our lives — which would be impossible anyway — but to learn how to use them in ways that don’t contribute to our sense of emptiness. This might mean setting aside time for offline activities, practicing mindfulness, or simply embracing the mundane moments of life without the crutch of a smartphone.