Scott and SadieOh, fantastic! Turns out science has confirmed what we already knew but were too busy doomscrolling to care about: people are bored as hell, and digital distractions are making it worse. Wow, what a groundbreaking revelation! Thanks to researchers Katy Y.Y. Tam and Michael Inzlicht for this earth-shattering newsflash that could’ve been filed under “No Shit, Sherlock.”
Apparently, our boredom levels have been skyrocketing since 2009. Gee, I wonder why? Maybe endlessly watching TikTok idiots do the same viral dance or getting sucked into yet another Reddit flame war isn’t exactly the mental stimulation humanity needs. Who knew that training our brains to crave non-stop dopamine hits might make everything else feel, well, dull as shit?
The study also kindly reminds us that having your phone nearby during face-to-face conversations makes those interactions feel less meaningful. Oh really? So clutching your phone like a security blanket and sneaking peeks during dinner ruins the vibe? Someone alert the Nobel Committee, we’ve got some real genius-level science going on here.
The problem is, we’re digital junkies now, hooked on content that comes fast and easy. Every swipe and notification keeps us on this never-ending hamster wheel of empty entertainment. We’re basically overstimulated zombies, bored out of our minds and too distracted to realize we did it to ourselves. Like, congrats, humanity! We managed to bore ourselves into oblivion in a world that’s got more content than brains.
So, what’s the solution? Maybe we should try putting down our goddamn phones, going outside, or actually engaging with real life. Hah! As if. Let’s be honest: it’s way easier to complain about feeling empty while simultaneously refreshing Instagram for the hundredth time today. We’ll keep on binge-scrolling, bitching about how bored we are, and training our brains to turn into mush. Because this is the digital age, baby: where you can have all the content in the world and still feel like life’s a giant, boring middle finger.
