When we were little, we were never bored
When I was younger, the term “boredom” rarely came out of my life. I was an energetic little kid with an incredibly creative mind, and could easily occupy myself with totally random things for long periods of time. If I had friends with me, that boredom really ceased to exist. If I ever blurted out “I’m bored” as a kid, it was probably because I was being dragged along to an activity or event that I didn’t want to be a part of. However, as I have gotten older, I’ve noticed that I have been bored a lot more often. Mainly, I tend to associate my hunger with being bored and I raid the fridge and pantry, which makes my mom crazy. I have become much more introverted, and tend to hang out with the same few people every day.
As I turned into a teenager, and as technology advances, boredom definitely changed for me. When I am bored, I am usually just playing on my phone for a while. Now, when I was younger, I could play with my barbies and make up stories, or play “family” with my sisters. Basically, I could make the most out of a blank space of area, whereas now I expect things to be laid out for me, and there is no creativity involved. Sure, boredom does lead to creativity and self sufficiency, but it just isn’t the same with technology.
— Sienna Shelton, Masterman, Philadelphia
When I was six and I complained about being “bored” my mom would make me do a puzzle, or work or school related games. Although they weren’t always the most fun, I knew that if I mentioned I was bored, my mom would give me something to do. As I’ve gotten older, this sort of control has vanished quite a bit. Now if I tell my mom I’m bored (which I rarely do), she’ll either roll her eyes or give me a task so unbearable that next time I would solve my boredom alone.
Boredom is your own fault
To me boredom is only up to one person, you. You can sit around all day and complain about how bored you are or you can do something about it. There are so many things out in the world that you have never done before you just need to go out there and explore. It’s not possible for a human to be bored unless they choose to be bored.
I try to avoid boredom at all costs by constantly using my phone, gaming, talking to friends, etc. The only time I used to allow myself to be bored was going to sleep, laying in bed waiting. But over my years of learning how to avoid boredom, I learned that if I use my phone long enough, and make myself tired enough, I can fall asleep immediately. I know this is a problem because I think best when I am bored, but I can’t. Sorry to myself I guess.
Boredom spawns creativity
When I’m bored, I tend to think. I am a very thoughtful person, and there’s almost always one crazy thought or another running through my brain. However, boredom leads to long trails of thinking, so captivating, amazing, and wonderful, and by the time you snap out of it you forget where you started.
Another mental habit of mine is “listening to music.” If I have a song memorized, I will play it back in my brain from start to finish, almost as if I am listening to the song. Just as I’m always thinking about something, there is always music in my head. Right now it’s “Lights Down Low,” but earlier it was “Pure Imagination” and “Girls Like You.”What I’m trying to say is, boredom truly is a great thing. Not only does it cause you to develop creativity and self-sufficiency, it also lets you discover your greatest source of entertainment: you.
