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Axios Finish Line: Why we should embrace boredom

22 Jul 2022
In our increasingly loud, distracting world, we’re seldom bored. But just doing nothing has its perks.

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

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