The Generation That Forgot How to Be Bored

Our smartphones have become digital umbilical cords, tethering us to a constant stream of notifications, updates, and endless scrolling. I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say that many of us - young and old - spend virtually every waking moment staring at these glowing rectangles. But it's the younger generation that concerns me most, because they've never known anything different.

How did we function before these devices? Did we simply stare into space? Use our imaginations? Actually talk to strangers whilst waiting for buses? The answer seems almost quaint now, but yes - we did all of those things. We daydreamed during commutes, struck up conversations with shop assistants, and meals were consumed without digital accompaniment. Boredom wasn't an emergency requiring immediate technological intervention.

Today's so-called "digital natives" earned that title through no choice of their own. By age two, many had parents shoving screens in their faces - not out of malice, but convenience. Caregivers, equally enslaved to their own devices, discovered that handing over a phone or tablet meant they could return to scrolling through Instagram or catching up on emails without the "burden" of engaging with curious toddlers. Why answer endless questions about clouds or colours when a screen could provide instant silence? Children learned early that entertainment comes from external sources, that silence equals discomfort, and that human attention is secondary to whatever's happening online.

The Creativity Crisis

This constant stimulation is rewiring young minds in troubling ways. Creativity flourishes in mental downtime - those precious moments when our brains wander, connect disparate ideas, and stumble upon innovations. Instead, we've created a generation that panics at the first hint of unstimulation. Every queue, lift ride, or bathroom break becomes an opportunity for digital consumption rather than contemplation.

Research suggests that smartphone dependency is literally shrinking attention spans and reducing our capacity for deep thinking. When was the last time you saw a teenager sit quietly without reaching for their device? When did you last do it yourself?

The Social Paradox

Despite being more "connected" than ever, young people report higher levels of loneliness and social anxiety. They can navigate TikTok algorithms with expertise but struggle with basic face-to-face conversations. Small talk - that seemingly trivial skill our grandparents mastered - has become an endangered art form.

Dating apps have replaced chance encounters, group chats substitute for genuine gatherings, and relationships are measured in likes rather than meaningful interactions. We're raising a generation that can curate perfect online personas but can't maintain eye contact during real conversations.

Where Do We Go From Here?

The trajectory seems grim, and I'm not convinced we know how to untangle ourselves from this digital web. Without proper guidance, intervention, or conscious resistance, things will likely worsen. Tech companies employ armies of psychologists specifically to make their products more addictive, and they're winning.

But perhaps there's hope in the margins. Maybe the next generation's leaders won't be those with the most followers or the fastest typing speeds. Perhaps they'll be the rare individuals who've learned to self-regulate, who can sit quietly with their thoughts, who notice sunsets and strike up conversations with strangers.

These enlightened few - the ones who've discovered that constant connectivity isn't actually connection - might become our most valuable citizens. They'll possess something increasingly precious: the ability to be fully present. They'll read body language instead of emoji, solve problems through contemplation rather than Google searches, and find inspiration in silence rather than stimulation.

In a world where everyone's head is buried in a device, simply looking up might become the ultimate competitive advantage. Those who remember how to be bored, how to wonder, how to wander - both mentally and physically - may find themselves becoming society's chosen ones, the special few who can navigate human complexity whilst others remain trapped in digital bubbles.

The question is: will there be enough of them?

A version of this article was posted on LinkedIn.