Killing time - The science of boredom | DW Documentary

Our modern lives are wired for productivity, speed and constant stimulation. Boredom? No time! Yet boredom can fire up our creativity and help teach us to manage our emotions.

In a world built for productivity, speed and nonstop stimulation, it seems there's little room left for boredom. Smartphones offer us endless distraction, making it easy to avoid the uncomfortable feeling. But what actually is boredom? And why do we feel it? Everybody experiences boredom, yet few of us take it seriously. Researchers around the world are working to better understand it — because beneath that nagging sense of emptiness lies far more than most people realize.

The documentary is an entertaining exploration of how boredom can be not only unpleasant — but also beneficial. Feeling bored encourages us to look for ways out of dull situations and can help boost our creativity. It also plays an important role in childhood, as we learn to manage our emotions. Researchers do caution against idealizing boredom, though. When it becomes chronic, it can contribute to problems such as alcoholism, and internet and gambling addictions.

We all know boredom — yet we all experience it differently. Is it an agonizing emptiness, or a driving force behind creativity? Nervous restlessness, or restful calm? In fascinating experiments, researchers in psychology, neuroscience and philosophy explore this elusive feeling. How can some people tolerate boredom better than others? How much boredom is healthy — and what actually happens in the brain when nothing is happening? Spoiler: Quite a lot!


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