I was inspired to write this post after my ED shared an article from the New York Times describing how children are no longer exposed to boredom which can lead to some harmful effects.
I remember as a kid having a Gameboy, Playstation, the Internet was just becoming a useful tool where I would spend
hours going through animal images so I could use them as a reference for my sketchbook, but I also spent a lot of time outside, playing barbies with my younger sister and other make-believe games.
These games sprouted because:
I was homeschooled so there really wasn’t much for me to do other than school and hang out with my siblings
I read a LOT
And we were bored
The article described that being bored helps kids learn patience, how to focus when doing something mundane and how to make your own entertainment. It continued that when one reaches the “breaking point” of that boredom is when creativity can happen- where we learn to make something constructive. Often times we as adults believe kids need to be entertained or engaged every minute of their day but that isn’t true. The article makes a real point in that life can be boring. Often times we are stuck in the same routine over and over again:
Wake up
Eat
Work
Eat
Work
Eat
Tv/read/draw
Sleep
Though this might not be the same for everyone most people have a schedule that they maintain which can lead to a monotonous lifestyle filled with depression and a lack of joy for life. If we do not learn to entertain yourself. I personally listen to an audiobook on my commute to my different jobs, draw when I have down time at work and bullet journal to make my habits into something interesting.
Kids need to learn how to make their own entertainment. I hear kids saying all the time that what they are doing is boring and how they do not want to do it.
The best I can say is “life sucks, move on and just do it”, the girl who I tutor rolls her eyes at me anytime I say it and says “it’s still boring”.
For a good read, here is the link to the article