The Replacement of Boredom

Can we pleeease go back to a time where social media didn't exist?

Introduction

In celebration of launching my first website, I would like to share my first real post about the art of boredom. Without boredom, I wouldn't have thought about doing this, hence making the magic in the first place.

My Opinion

I think boredom is the most important tool for the human mind. With the information I already know about it, it leaves room for creativity and curiosity, and I think most people don't take that privilege to account.

Times have really changed, especially with all sorts of scrolling platforms. I'm fine with them, but at the end of it all, I feel so much guilt. I've spent so much time [excessively] looking at videos constantly that don't benefit me as well as being productive in other ways.

I used to finish books in weeks, fill my sketchpad, go on walks, talk to friends on my phone, journal my life...I don't know if this is TMI, but I used to write Wattpad stories. Back-to-back. These were some ways I would feed my boredom and feel longer-lasting joy. But with Tiktok and Instagram feeling like a chore to get to every single hour, isn't something I can look back upon and appreciate wasting my time on it.

Little Insight On My Experience

My cell phone is pretty old and has a lot of storage problems. About three months ago, I limited my apps to things that are reliable. BAND [my sports team communication app], Snapchat [whenever I need to contact my friends], Delta [to play retro games], Ibis Paint X [for digital art], and Netflix. No kidding, my home screen looks pretty dead.

A lot of friends and peers ask me about it. I can see how it's a bit strange. At the same time, though, living with four apps (after the intense withdrawal) taught me that constant access to time-wasting apps ruins the art of boredom. I liked being lost in my mind and being alone, pondering. Because of my phone situation, surprise-surprise, I don't feel like picking up my phone and endlessly scrolling. I've started to notice small things. After awkward pauses in conversation, I never felt the need to pick up my phone to avoid the reality that it is okay to feel a boring silence.

Slowly, all sorts of spaces for community are disappearing. Malls, Arcades, Libraries, Movie theatres, PARKS, etc... We need spaces where we don't want to pick up the cell phone. We are getting too comfortable with easy access. That is a topic for another story, but my point here is that there was a time when we could be with friends or/and family. No one goes here anymore. We continue to complain about rotting in bed when these fun spaces are right in front of us.

I hope I can encourage you to try it out for yourself. Delete these apps, find out what you're good at. Go out to try out a new restaurant with your friend. Don't feel the urgent need to post your playdate on your story. Read a book. Please. (It is so crazy how many people can't even name one they've read in the past year.)

Conclusion

I feel like we as a whole always complain that we don't have time for ourselves. Maybe that's true, or maybe it's true because we don't recognize that it might be the constant overstimulation we give ourselves to fill the gaps of free time that we deserve. If that makes sense.

**let me know your thoughts below <3