Remember whining “I’m bored!” as a kid on those endless summer days? In our world of smartphones and infinite scrolling, those moments of boredom are rare for today’s youth—but their mental health may depend on it.
Psychologists argue that a lack of boredom may actually stifle creativity and fulfillment.
Endless Entertainment Linked to Reduced Creativity
Boredom is the bedrock on which children and teenagers create their own ideas, according to Stephanie Lee, a clinical psychologist specializing in optimizing children’s education and mental health. Excessive digital entertainment often deprives kids of this boredom, hindering imagination, she said.
Social media correlates with reduced creativity in adolescents, a 2019 pediatric study published in the Italian Journal of Pediatrics showed. The researchers wrote that social networks and smartphone use may correlate with low academic outcomes, reduced concentration, and reduced creativity.
The study echoes the burgeoning body of science showing the close relationship between social media and poor mental health among teenagers. For social media-addicted teenagers, certain life skills such as problem-solving and resilience are often lacking, according to a 2021 study published in the Journal of Education and Health Promotion.
Entertainment can also discourage kids from creating if they compare their performance or output with the content they consume externally, Ms. Lee said. In contrast, different forms of entertainment—watching a thought-provoking documentary or attending a concert, for example—can stimulate creativity, she added.
Bored Kids Become Better Problem-Solvers
Boredom is the trigger that builds basic life skills, Sandi Mann, a psychology professor at the University of Central Lancashire in England, told The Epoch Times. When we swipe and scroll our boredom away, we end up missing out, she said.
“We don’t allow our minds to wander and find creative solutions to our boredom.”
Solving boredom hones problem-solving, which is linked to better mental health. Problem-solving ability—or inability—may even predict depression and anxiety, one study published in the International Journal of Preventive Medicine found. “Independent problem-solving is a way we help children and teens build self-agency, self-esteem, and confidence,” Ms. Lee said.
While journaling and art advance problem-solving, social media impairs it. Social media’s quick dopamine hits provide fleeting satisfaction that may lead to depression. In contrast, solving problems brings lasting accomplishment and fulfillment.
Achieving the “Aha!” moments when we solve a problem nullifies feelings of helplessness, which is very damaging to our mental well-being, Ms. Mann said.
Idle Time Crucial for Building Teen Resilience
Studies link improved problem-solving with greater resilience, Ms. Lee said. Boredom may, therefore, build resilience, which Generation Z (often defined as those born from 1995 to 2010) seems to lack. This generation spends hours daily on social media.
Just as entertainment dulls problem-solving, research shows that it reduces teenagers’ ability to demonstrate resilience when faced with challenging scenarios. “The ability to manage boredom independently demonstrates self-agency and self-efficacy,” Ms. Lee said. These are the foundation for building resilience.
Another benefit to boredom? It helps children, teenagers, and adults manage stressful emotions and adversity. It prepares us for the greater challenges in life.
“We often have to use planning, strategy, and problem-solving to eliminate boredom, which is good practice for children and teens—and adults,” Ms. Lee said.
