While most people scroll through social media to alleviate boredom, researchers with the University of Bath School of Management and Trinity College, Dublin, say that’s not a good thing.
At issue are the two types of boredom first identified by German philosopher Martin Heidegger in the 1920s: “superficial” and “profound.” The former is your garden variety boredom: waiting for a train or feeling the need to kill time in line at the post office.
The “profound” boredom sounds ominous, but the scientists say it’s important and came into play for some people for the first time during the pandemic. Profound boredom can lead one to pick up a new hobby, perfect a skill, or have that eureka moment for a long-held problem.
Having nothing to do and nobody to see led people to try new things, which explains why you saw so many posts about people making sourdough in 2020, for example.
“The problem we observed was that social media can alleviate superficial boredom but that distraction sucks up time and energy, and may prevent people progressing to a state of profound boredom, where they might discover new passions,” says Dr. Timothy Hill, co-author of the study, in a university release.
“This research has given us a window to understand how the ‘always-on,’ 24/7 culture and devices that promise an abundance of information and entertainment may be fixing our superficial boredom but are actually preventing us from finding more meaningful things. Those who engage in ‘digital detoxes’ may well be on the right path.”
The scientists say the small study they conducted should lead to further research on the topic.