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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