Gibson

Kirra Gibson

Malcolm Campbell

UWRT 1104

October 31, 2017

Brainwashed by Boredom: Why Teenagers do Stupid Shit

When I sit down, I immediately grab the throw pillow to use it as a guard between my

emotions and me. The couch is squishy and dips into the middle, which makes it difficult to ever Deleted: I

get comfortable, not like thats possible when the therapist sits there, waiting for me to talk. Even

though I have seen therapists for a few years now, explaining my behaviors is still difficult. I feel

the insistent need to provide the therapist a complex answer for my behaviors. I am Sad. I am

Anxious. I am Lonely. While I do feel all these emotions, a different emotional state of being Deleted: ,

truly pressures me into harmful behaviors. Boredom- its the unreachable itch on my back, the Deleted: your

pesky brother that wants to play a game, but all the ones I suggest he declines, and the squirming Deleted: you

in my desk chair while the professor lectures in his monotone voice for ages. I would rather feel Deleted: your

my stomach growling, than to just sit there and wait. But, I can never quite tell my therapist this,

because saying Im bored feels like such a sad, stupid excuse. But, what if it isnt? And what if

boredom requires more exposure so people will take it seriously?

There are two degrees of boredom: situational boredom; brought on by predictable and
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monotonous activities, and chronic boredom, a type that mirrors depression (Toohey). As a Deleted: .
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culture, Americans tend to believe that boredom is a temporary feeling that can be easily brushed
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off. What about when boredom gets dangerous and out of hand? Chronic boredom is the much
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more cynical type of boredom people fail to take seriously. People who experience chronic Deleted: There
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boredom engage in behaviors dangerous to themselves and society. Horror movies often have the Deleted: recognize
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characters struggle with this type of boredom. In the horror classic; The Shining, the main

character, Jack Torrance experiences Cabin Fever brought on by his chronic boredom. Cabin

Fever can be summarized as the combination of anger and boredom that naturally occurs from

being cooped up participating in the same activities (Oxford Dictionary). Jack is hired to watch Deleted: .

over the Overlook Hotel, a theorized haunted hotel deep in the middle of the mountains. He is a

writer, recently fired from his teaching job due to his alcoholic tendencies. Jack struggles with

depression and bouts of chronic boredom. Chronic boredom; when coupled with the paranoid,

the risk takers, and the sensation seekers creates a deadly cocktail. People will do whatever they

can to rid themselves of boredom. Jacks pre-existing condition, coupled with the possible

spiritual presence of the hotel causes him to go insane. Boredom has an innocent enough

demeanor. But boredom is like a child who begs for attention, and when the attention they seek

is not given, they throw a nasty tantrum.

Boredom starts off at a young age, and gets children into trouble. A mother stands in the

kitchen, phone pressed up against her ear, while her child tugs at the hem of her skirt. The child

whines, Im bored. The mother points at the phone angrily, and shushes the child away. The

kid has a basket full of toys, a shelf full of books, and containers of art supplies to play with, but

none of these activities are able to engage the child. This is when a child resorts to taking a

colored marker and scribbling on the wall. The act of defiance gives the child the rush they seek.

Teenagers act the same way when faced with boredom. Parents want teenagers to engage in

appropriate activities- homework, reading, and studying. Teenagers however, dont have the

same tolerance for such activities as adults do. According to research, some people are more

prone to boredom than others, teenagers, being one of these subgroups. James Danckert, a

professor of cognitive neuroscience backs up this claim through his research, People who are
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reaching the end of their young adulthood years, around age twenty-two, may be less likely than Deleted: 22

those in their late teens to get bored (LiveScience). This is because neurologically the teenage Deleted: .

brain is not as fully developed as an adults. The brain develops back to front, so one of the last

regions to develop is the Prefrontal Cortex. The Prefrontal Cortex is the part of the brain

associated with self-control and self-regulation. People who have more control over their lives

are content, so a lack of self-control triggers impulsive decisions.

Physical health is also negatively impacted through boredom. A common problem in

adolescence are eating problems. Fifty percent of teenage girls and thirty percent of teenage boys Deleted: Most
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partake in disordered eating behaviors to some degree (Neumark). Binge eating is one of the Deleted: .

ways people eat unhealthily. Mindless snacking is a pastime several individuals engage in when Deleted: We have all been there, sitting in front of a
television, watching some trashy reality show while
indulging in junk food.
bored, it is insanely easy to scarf down a bag of chips when there is nothing better to do. Studies

show that people enjoy experiencing food while bored, whether it be through cooking or tasting

because the mind transforms into a highly sensory state of being (Puniewska). Sleeping problems

can also be triggered by boredom; falling asleep during inappropriate times or sleeping too much

are both causations of boredom. People who feel confined in their unengaging work

environments informed employers of back pain. This is most likely the effect of the person

attempting to get comfortable at the desk emotionally and physically. Hunching over, hands

under the chin, attempting to contort the body in any way possible contributes to sore muscles.

Boredom is a broad emotion, everyone experiences boredom, and everyone generally

experiences it in the same way. One factor is for certain, people want to avoid feeling bored at all

costs. However, boredom can be incredibly difficult to satiate, especially for teenagers. Children,

when they are feeling bored will temporarily complain, but their overactive imaginations will

soon whisk them away to worlds with dragons and princesses. While adults have the life
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experiences and fully developed prefrontal cortex to more easily combat boredom. Adolescents

have raging hormones and identity confusion. Teenagers are bound to lose interest in pre-

pubescent activities, and must seek out new activities. Participating in leisure activities is a part

of being a teenager. Yet, studies show leisurely activity alone is not enough to stimulate the

cerebral cortex. Leisure boredom is defined as, The perception that leisure experiences do not

satisfy the brain for optimal arousal (CITE). The brain believes drugs, alcohol, etc. are the only

ways to fulfill the reward circuitry system. Then, using drugs and alcohol so much and so often

eventually leads to developing a tolerance for these substances. Each time requiring more and

more to reach the level of euphoria the user is seeking.

According to research done by Thomas Goetz, German professor at the University of

Konstanz, there are five types of boredom. They range from different levels of awareness and

each type is in accordance of personality. First, there is calibrating boredom. This is when people Deleted: your

daydream of new experiences, but dont have the motivation to go through with it. Secondly, Deleted: you

there is searching boredom. People who experience searching boredom are motivated to find

bigger and better opportunities. Then, there is reactant boredom, which accompanies mundane

repetitive, inescapable activities. The fourth type is indifferent boredom. Passing out on the

couch, while watching television after quite a long day is an example of this type of boredom.

Finally, the last type of boredom discovered is apathetic boredom. This type of boredom is

extremely unpleasant and is comparable to depression. What is truly interesting about these

findings are that personalities dictate which type of boredom is experienced. Goetz also

concluded teenagers experience apathetic boredom the most frequently since it closely links with

depression. Depression is another topic people want to sweep under the rug, due to the negative

side effects and emotions felt. Nobody wants a Debbie Downer at a social function. Everyone
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wants a Party Polly, who drinks away her feelings, puts on a stoic face, and pretends she does not

give a fuck.

Not long ago, while waiting for a hair appointment at a salon, I overheard a hair stylist

talking with her client about emotions. The two older women were bonding over the fact that Deleted: were older, and

they never cry, (obviously they cry over Lifetime movies though, while enjoying their second

and third glasses of wine). People bond this way now. Emotions make people uncomfortable, so Deleted: Emotions used to bring people closer, but now it is
quite the opposite.
often these feelings are avoided at all costs. When other people cry it is hard for people to Deleted: so these feelings are avoided at all costs

appropriately react. Sure, some people with the comforting gene will wrap people up in a warm Deleted: you

hug when they are scared. For most people in modern society, however, they will attempt to Deleted: you

pretend like the situation isnt happening. People typically do not want sadness to rub off on Deleted: This is because we
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them. People are social creatures, so people naturally mimic those around them. When somebody Deleted: us
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yawns and you feel enough empathy for them, then you too will yawn. Somebody laughs, and Deleted: we
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naturally the corners of your mouth will go up in a smirk, and soon enough, even if you try hard Deleted: sneeze
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enough not to, you too will be laughing. Laughing, an indication of happiness, fosters an
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optimistic environment. On the other side of the spectrum, when somebody cries you will

eventually break down or at least start to tear up. The corners of your eyes will start to water, and

your mouth will quiver. It is such a natural human reaction, yet people treat it as weakness. Deleted: we

Vulnerability, even if it is a reaction to another person putting themselves out there, opening up

emotionally to us, putting emotions out for others to see is still scary.

People dont like to feel. This is a simple fact. Sadness, the lump you feel in your throat.

Anger, the blood rushing to your head when in a heated argument. Boredom, the unappeasable

need for stimulation. All of these are negative states of being that people cannot tolerate. Instead

of seeking out healthy coping mechanisms, people resort to mind numbing activities. Any
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activity you partake in is fun at first, but too much of it is going to eat you alive, because soon

you wont be able to get enough. Once you stop the drinking or the smoking then the feelings are

going to catch up to you. The nasty fact is emotions demand to be felt. Pushing them further into

your psyche will only cause them to grow stronger later. Boredom acts the same way. Emotions

are tricky like that, you feel the need to fight them off when really you should let them transpire.

Letting emotions run their course through acceptance that the emotion is happening will help in

the long term.

While boredom is not a primary emotion, boredom should have as much exposure and

awareness as other emotions. There was a test done by Maastricht University (located in the

Neverlands,) where participants sat in a lab, with nothing to do except the option to self- Deleted: xpect

administer electric shocks. The participants chose to administer shocks because of lack of

arousal, which suggests that people will do anything to avoid feeling bored. What was even more Deleted: proves the point

interesting was another finding in the research. Later, participants were shown three types of film Deleted: eople

segments: a sad film, a monotonous film, and a neutral film. People who viewed the monotonous

film administered shocks more frequently and at a higher intensity than those who viewed the

sad or neutral film. The results indicated the test subjects did not act on self-injury urges, but hurt

themselves to fill the void in the lack of simulation they were receiving (Psychology

Journal).These self-administered shocks are an example of non-suicidal self-injury. Also known Deleted:
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as NSSI, these are self-harm behaviors people engage in that are meant to relieve negative

feelings and thoughts through physical trauma.

Self-harm has a connotation that the act is only administered by those who are

experiencing real urges to kill themselves. However, there are a variety of reasons why people

engage in self harm, and a variety of ways that people do it other than just the standard self-harm Deleted: Hollywood glamorized
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tactic of cutting. Adolescents turn to self-harm tactics for relief from whatever discomfort they Deleted: -tac

are experiencing. Self-harm itself is a topic that is imperative for society to open up further for

discussion. Unfortunately, there is a stigmatization that surrounds depression, suicide, and self-

harm. Speaking from personal experience, my first time engaging in self injury was when I was

bored. I was in treatment for my eating disorder, therefore was being monitored heavily for any

eating disorder behaviors. Prior to treatment I was so intertwined with my eating disorder, so I

felt this void in my life, that I knew needed to be filled or else I would go mad with the spare

time on my hands. Simply out of boredom, one day I engaged in a self-harm behavior. I did not

do it with the intent to seriously harm myself, but rather to relieve myself of the boredom I was

experiencing. My brain convinced myself it would be a one-time occurrence, but I soon became

addicted. Boredom is what first prompted the behavior, and it did later turn into a vicious cycle

of my depression pressuring me to hurt myself, but there were still times when the only reason I

hurt myself was because I was bored.

The problem with adults when they hear teenagers explicitly saying they are bored is

because they dont believe them. Teenagers will flat out say I had nothing better to do and a

parent will still look for other reasons as to why their child acted out. Often times it is blamed on

the crowd they are hanging with. While peer pressure exists, and while getting involved in the

wrong crowd can be a contributing factor for teens to get into trouble, there is a reason why the

wrong crowd was sought out in the first place. Teenagers seek thrills, and hanging out with the

kids who vandalize the school through obscene graffiti is a perfect high. Parents will blame their

children acting out as deficiencies in the childs personality. Parents will blame the child

themselves, saying, that they were raised better than that. Parents arent properly taught how to
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deal with child boredom. There are countless of parenting magazines that will provide boredom

busting activities but, this isnt addressing the feelings associated with boredom.

Tyler the Creator, rapper producer, and music video director wrote a song titled Boredom

on his fourth and most recent album, Flower Boy. Tyler raps about feeling isolated and lonely in

this song. The intro explains how when having fun, time flies. Quite the opposite of when

someone is bored. The overall theme is about the inability to find time for oneself. People are so Deleted: you
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caught up in work, school, and other commitments that it is hard to put aside time for self-care.

Instead of using free time proactively, down time is spent perusing the internet or scrolling

through the same social media posts over and over again. It is ironic that the further

technologically advanced our society becomes the more bored people feel. No matter how many Deleted: we

updates are released or new software is developed, the concepts behind them are essentially the

same as the last. Yet people log onto these accounts- Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, etc. basically

all hours of the day expecting to find something so compelling, when in reality it is just a

multitude of selfies.

Social media plays a whole other role in teenage boredom. Teenagers can get into trouble

so easily online, a few clicks away while researching for a project can lead to dangerous sites on

the web. Social media is toxic enough for adolescents due to the unrealistic standards social

media presents for teenagers. Perfection is what people strive for on their accounts. The perfect

skin, hair, body, life; everything has to be presented beautifully on social media. Boredom

prompts adolescents to constantly check their own social media accounts and compare it with

others their age. Boredom can lead to teenagers sending messages they are later going to regret.

Snapchat is known as a platform where young adults send and receive nudes through. There are a

countless number of phone applications and computer websites where teenagers can chat with
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strangers from around the world. The idea itself sounds proactive, but online chatting can

become dangerous. People are very persuasive online, and when paired with boredom teenagers

can be easily influenced to exchange inappropriate content with one another.

The boring side of boredom does not make the news. A headline is not going to pop up

reading, This college student fell asleep in lecture hall! This happens all the time, and is not a

news story worth any persons time to cover. What should be happening are investigations as to

why the student is falling asleep in class. Students paying for higher education should be able to

stay awake in class. They should want to stay awake in class. The student should be easily able

to remain awake in class, because the content presented should be information that is easy to

obtain. The content should not be disengaging to the point where the student is dozing off. Not to

place all the blame on professors, since a students brain chemistry has to do with the students

actions as well. The lecture ideas are easy to lose track of when a student feels bored. John

Eastwood, a Psychologist at York University explains that there are three functions involved in

attention. The person first needs to be suitably aroused. Then we have an adaptive system that

acts as a backup, so even if lost in daydreaming, the system will still pick up on outside cues Deleted: you

relating to the task at hand. The third function acts as an executive system that monitors

awareness, the system consciously remains focused, even if the task does not hold out interest. Deleted: our
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What does make the news is teenage rebellion. One way teenagers rebel is through Deleted: can
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picking fights. When bored, people cope through channeling their boredom through anger,

misdirecting their emotions at another person. The New York Times published an article about

teenagers acting out during winter break. Teenagers will find themselves bored during Christmas

break because they suddenly find themselves without the structure of school. Reports show

teenagers prefer to gather at these malls and pick fights with one another. Police hypothesized
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teenagers acted out because they were bored. The news article itself is not unique, teenage mall

shenanigans take place every day. What supports the research being conducted however is that

were the police explicitly identified boredom as being the reason behind the brawls.

Before wrapping up this research assignment, I am going to review the positive benefits

of boredom. Experiencing lulls throughout the day are healthy, and can foster creativity and

growth. Boredom leads to daydreaming, and daydreaming leads to new artistic projects. Bertrand

Russell, a philosopher who spent time in prison philosophized prison was the ideal setting for a

creative person. When people feel occasionally bored it encourages people to explore new goals.

Boredom, if taken the right approach can lead to new career opportunities, if youre

disinterested with your job, this may be a sign that the job isnt the right fit or youre not being

challenged (Puniewska). Of course, the concept of downtime is difficult to practice since

society fosters workaholic tendencies. Feeling bored is our brains cue that our time could be Deleted: the world we live in

better utilized.

Boredom is a part of life, and a part of a teenagers adolescent growth. Teenagers are

bound to make mistakes because its a part of growing up. This essay is not to condemn

teenagers and ridicule them of their choices, but rather to exemplify how the particular feeling,

plays a role in teenage decision making. Drug and alcohol usage are habits that should not be

taken lightly, and although they are technically illegal, there is no denying that teenagers are

going to drink and smoke. What teenagers need to be aware of are the reasons why they are

participating in these types of behaviors. If the reason is to shut out unfavorable thoughts and

sensations, then teenagers need to be aware of the whys. Educators and parents need to

recognize boredom, and the negative effects it brings. Deleted:

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0"
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