this post was submitted on 12 Feb 2024
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I'm worried this might actually be true. Recently talked to my grandmom whose not much into computers and smartphones about this and asked what she does all day. The answer was fill crosswords, complete puzzles and knit socks. While that is not staring at screens it doesn't sound particularly interesting or fulfilling either.
I still think that there is value to boredom aswell. It simply just can't be healthy to be stimulated all the time.
Early gen x.
As a kid with just 3 channels on TV, I did a ton of imaginative play, crafted things, drew, converted my room into a space ship occasionally, rode my bike around the neighborhood, played with my dog, built couch forts, and myriad other stuff, and yes, watched tv. I don't remember being bored often.
I have a dozen hobbies I could devote time to if I could somehow retire today. Of course the depression gets in the way of wanting to do anything. But when I'm not, I am pretty sure I could find something to fill my days with every day for decades. My reading queue just keeps growing. I used to read so much once...
Maybe I'm being overly optimistic and I would just be bored half the day? Then again I took 5 days off over the holidays and played a new video game basically all day every day lol. It was glorious. And I felt so good to not have to deal with work. I started to feel good and motivated instead of bummed. I got the distinct feeling I would continue to have a great time if I could've just kept not working from that last day of vacation forward.
My MIL takes classes online, goes to seminars, travels, goes to theater, ballet, etc. She quilts. Reads a lot. She does watch TV a fair bit but doesn't do web stuff all the time. She doesn't ever seem bored to me.
One of my friends does art, all different media from acrylic painting to glass fusing to sandblasting to sculpture etc. On top of that, gardening, writing, prolific reading... He isn't capable of being bored. Hardly ever watches TV. Takes forever to get back to text messages lol.
I think it is easy to get sucked into blowing time on apps and socials and all that. As a sort of sad substitute for doing more fulfilling things. That's probably a trap I've fallen hard into. It's sort of like eating chips instead of making you self dinner. Yeah it is calories but what joy is there in it, really?
I grew up without TV. The first television I saw was in the window of a shop - not for sale, the shop owner had set it up as a novelty. The Apollo programme was big news at the time, and it was showing a rocket launch. I remember standing watching it for so long someone was sent out to look for me.
My escape from boredom back then was books. I read voraciously, always had a stack of books from the library. My parents often yelled at me to "get outside and play", so I'd be forced to bicycle around aimlessly with my friends. We were so bored!
These days? Lemmy, crossword puzzles and knitting socks (see below), yes indeed. But also sport, beekeeping, socialising. And reading books. On my phone of course!
Love the color of that yarn!
Knitting socks sounds productive at least!