Everyone has to be on their screens. Do you ever go out for dinner with someone, then, while returning from a bathroom break, you notice that person is on their phone to fill the silence during your departure? We can’t sit still anymore!
Boredom is a lost skill these days.
I see people on their screens in fast food drive throughs and red stoplights. When they look up from their phones, they stare into the abyss and realize that life was much more fun on their screen. So they rush home to catch the next notification. If they get enough time, they might realize that life is truly fun without the screen.
Kids can’t sit still and be bored anymore. That’s why ADD has been magically invented. The struggle resulting from boredom is nonexistent when we have so many stimuli replacing boring voids. So many devices, games, activities…and parents give in to the pressure. I don’t blame parents for loving their kids. Although, if they truly loved them, some discipline and limitations would be helpful.
With the growth in popularity of meditation among Western cultures, it may be possible that we are moving to a more thoughtful way of living. Just sitting still and accepting thoughts as they come could do wonders for those who feel every second has to be filled by silence.
Imagine taking just 60 seconds to sit and do nothing today. I wonder which kinds of new ideas would pop into your head. Perhaps out of boredom comes excitement. Excitement for what we have now.
Boredom is a lost skill. Perhaps it is time to revisit it.