For much of human history, boredom has been a part of everyday life. Even on our busiest days, when we tended to our chores, worked, socialized, and invested time into our hobbies, there were bound to be quiet moments. Our minds would wander aimlessly because we lacked interest, but we’d accept the stillness rather than rush to fill it.
Back then, people endured long commutes without headphones and waited days for a friend to call back. There was so much downtime that people could reflect and get more creative. Children would make up games to entertain themselves, and adults would watch the world go by around them. That’s not to say boredom was always pleasant, but it was used as a way to unwind or encourage much-needed introspection.
Today, even the sheer idea of spending five minutes doing nothing makes most people cringe. There’s never an unstimulated moment because we have infinite ways to entertain ourselves and fill the gap. But because we’ve become such experts at not being bored, have we lost an important part of our humanity?
How We Built a World That Won’t Let Us Be Still
One of the hottest topics of discussion in recent years is the idea that our attention spans have gotten shorter. While studies have proven this is true, the real point of contention is that our attention no longer has a natural rhythm. We don’t allow our attention to wander freely or welcome those spontaneous mental pauses. Instead, our reflex is to reach for a device.
Carrying our smartphones around means we can direct our focus the moment it starts to wander, with every notification and app vying for our attention. We can do many small digital activities in our daily lives, such as:
- scrolling through social media
- reading a news article
- streaming a video
- playing a mobile game
These activities trigger endless dopamine loops. These dopamine loops are reward systems that train our brains to seek immediate gratification from them. After becoming accustomed to those repeated bursts of stimulation and enjoying their rewards, we find it even harder to resist reaching for the very device that provides them.
A podcast published by the American Psychological Association (APA) featured Gloria Mark, the Chancellor’s Professor of Informatics at the University of California, Irvine, discussing why our attention spans are shrinking. She talks about how the average attention span went from 75 seconds in 2012 to 40 seconds or less today. Much of that can be attributed to attention switching and stress. Decades of research show that when people multitask, they experience stress and their blood pressure rises.
Technological developments like the infinite scroll and push notifications aren’t helping this. They hijack our attention and keep us tethered to our phones regardless of what else is going on. We’ve fostered a culture in which stillness is uncomfortable and boredom is something we dread.
What Boredom Once Gave Us
Boredom has many negative connotations, but in reality, it gives us a dedicated space and tool to exercise our creativity. When children didn’t have iPads to occupy every moment, they found joy in conjuring up entire worlds and repurposing everyday objects into toys. Adults also used to use those idle moments to contemplate and inspire, giving the mind the freedom to explore possibilities outside of structured, “must-do” activity.
We’ve gone so far toward the other side of the spectrum that we’ve realized just how badly we need more silence and less noise. Despite so much research from the early 2000s showing that low external stimulation has benefits ranging from creativity to problem-solving, we’ve done little to follow suit.
These pauses give us time to break away from constant engagement and process memories, recharge our attention, and encourage us to consider our emotions and decisions – and we’re only starting to figure out how rare and valuable those moments have become.
Overstimulation doesn’t even imply constant productivity. Sometimes, we’re stimulated without even noticing it, keeping our minds and bodies perpetually alert. Healthwise, that constant background stimulation can elevate our baseline cortisol levels, impair our sleep quality, and reduce our ability to focus.
Boredom gave us an important break to reset ourselves physiologically and psychologically, the yin to our yang of activity and effort.
Replacing Silence with Screen Time
Our current obsession with distraction doesn’t mean we can never experience the ebbing and flowing of attention and thought ever again. But it does mean we have to be intentional about rewiring what idle time means to us.
Although some of us replace boredom with analog diversions like crafting or reading, it’s screen time that’s often the culprit of stolen moments. A single notification sound or a funny video sent by a friend can pull us into a world of endless entertainment and updates.
Everything about the online world distracts and fragments our attention, provided that we’re not consciously setting boundaries. Even the most insignificant puzzle game or light entertainment can turn into a filler, keeping our minds constantly occupied.
Turning to Games of Chance
Nothing quenches our thirst for small bursts of engagement more than games that provide quick wins and satisfaction. One example is the growing presence of online casinos, which stimulate our attention without demanding long-term commitment or investment. They let us enjoy structured interaction with instant feedback after every spin or bet. With our restless brains conditioned to crave micro-rewards, these platforms are excellent for turning boredom into a controllable experience that removes the idea of passive downtime.
The appeal of online casinos mirrors how casual digital entertainment, especially on mobile, has turned into a landscape of micro-engagement. Apps and games all seem to provide that “quick hit” in digestible, low-stakes packages. People expect immediacy and low commitment, and only then will their minds be continuously drawn back into action.
Could this signify a deeply ingrained cultural problem? Maybe. Considering that mobile app developers have been under fire for exploiting our attention through intermittent rewards and time-limited offers, casino apps need to be extra vigilant about creating interaction without fostering addiction. With the accessibility of gambling apps at an all-time high, the line between casual play and compulsion can blur very quickly.
The Art of Doing Nothing
In essence, the problem is our habit of filling every pause. When we do have a spare moment, we see it as a micro-task for our minds. So what do we do? Do we ditch the smartphone? Set barriers to prevent ourselves from going overboard with digital entertainment? What’s the solution here?
Society often panics when we realize there’s a problem. We sometimes assume that the answer lies in a drastic reversal – abandoning screens, downloading every possible app to prevent us from overuse, or removing all unnecessary stimulation possible.
But that’s not reality, and likely not effective either. The real answer is about reclaiming and redefining boredom, and even introducing some of it back into our lives. When we approach idle moments as opportunities for mental rest in ways that work for us, we can start restoring that natural rhythm that has been shunned by constant stimulation.
As well, practice makes perfect. We can’t expect the world around us to undergo a transformation overnight. Rather, it’s about training our minds to tolerate more and embrace the idea of unstructured thought. Soon enough, we’ll be able to sit with our emotions and thoughts and ruminate on ideas and challenges that tend to escape our attention when we’re constantly checking in on our phones.