What even is Boredom?
(Happy Black History Month!)
The Bear Blog Carnival February topic is boredom.
Prompt: Are you ever bored, what do you do when you are feeling bored or are we even capable of feeling bored in this age of limitless digital entertainment?
[I have to answer this because i have a lot to say...]
This may not seem like a "good" answer (although nothing say ever is), but I very rarely feel bored.
If we exclude times where you are sitting doing nothing because you're waiting for someone, then I never get bored. I'm constantly doing something.
If, say, its 9pm and I'm off my phone and need to get to sleep, I'm still not bored. I have a habit of daydreaming in a maladaptive way. I fill my brain with entertainment.
When I have downtime at work, I pull out my notebook, and start brainstorming:
my future-planning journal: i'm planning to leave the US soon.
If I'm not thinking about planning a trip, I pull up my google spreadsheet and job search for my dream job.
If I'm not job hunting, then I'm creating my 30th money-saving plan.
If I'm not creating a money-saving plan, then I'm scouring the internet for the perfect graduate degree program and doesn't cost thirty-thousand American dollars.
Or I might even be sorting my music library, re-tagging all 1,600 song files and downloading more.
On the weekend, I may go on Goodwill's auction website and search for something I don't need and afterwards read up about obscure events on Wikipedia.
This in not normal. The general consensus is that we need to allow ourselves to be bored, but what does that actually look like?
Does it mean we have to sit and stare at the wall for a bit? that's the only thing that could possibly make me bored and even then, I will start daydreaming. Creating my own dopamine. You could say I'm self sufficient :)
Does it mean reading a book? or doodling? That is not boring at all.
My brain was not made to be bored. and in this digital age, it's impossible. Also, notice how none of the things I mention are social media. (Although online shopping via auctions isn't really a great alternative. Nobody gets mad when Grandma buys junk at an auction but God forbid Tuesday's Child wants to spend some money on a lamp made in 1994!)
I bet in ancient times when written language invention allowed for books, they said "Ugh these kids have endless entertainment nowadays." (I like to imagine a Pharaoh like Cleopatra was saying that). We don't have to demonize new technology, except generative AI, fuck that.
I'm being unnecessarily deep with the hope of this not being a boring read but I may be failing...but like, what do you mean you don't get high and learn html in one night? how can you be bored in a world like this!
TL;DR: anxious baddies do not get bored.
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