Originally found at Axios

In our increasingly loud, distracting world, we’re seldom bored. But just doing nothing has its perks.

Why it matters: Filling our brains with the constant flood of junk food from our phones — tweets, Facebook and Instagram posts, tabloid gossip — leaves little room for creative and original ideas, studies show.

That’s why one of the most productive times for brainstorming is when we’re in the shower, experiencing a rare digital detox.

What's happening: With stimulation right at our fingertips, our tolerance for being bored has evaporated.

Two-thirds of American adults routinely look at their phones even when they're not pinging or buzzing.

And the problem is worse for the next generation: A whopping 87% of U.S. teenagers have iPhones.

Zoom out: Science makes a case for boredom.

In one study, published in the Academy of Management Discoveries, researchers lulled a group into boredom by instructing them to sort beans by color. Another group was given a far more interesting craft to do.

Continue reading the original article at Axios

Read the original research in Academy of Management Discoveries

• Read the Academy of Management Insights summary: A Little-Known Way to Spark Creativity

Learn more about the AOM Scholars and explore their work:

• Guihyun Park, The Australian National University
• Beng-Chong Lim, Nanyang Technological University Singapore
• Hui Si Oh, Singapore Management University