In Defense of Bordem
For the Sake of Our Attention Spans
*Written as a brief for Champlain College’s magazine, “The Well”, which is created as part of the magazine publishing class over the course of a semester
I remember patiently awaiting my turn on the family computer. I would watch the screen, but not actually take in any information about what my brother was doing on Runescape, I just wanted to check on my Webkinz, damnit. So I sat there, bored, and I waited. While I sat bored, I remember creating stories about the people who lived in the towns we passed through on long road trips. I remember being told the three worst words for a kid like me on a scorching summer day: “go play outside.” There was no one to play with besides my brother, and he wanted to be out there less than I did. I remember the discomfort of having nothing to do, but I also remember what came after. I remember making up games, daydreaming, just thinking, and processing. These things were arguably the best parts of my childhood, but they have also become relics of the past.
We used to know boredom intimately. Waiting rooms meant outdated magazines. Commercials meant a bathroom break and learning about the latest new gadget. Rainy days meant actual restlessness and going stir crazy. Now, we've eliminated every gap. In the thirty seconds it takes for the elevator to arrive, we pull out our phones. When it's time to fold laundry, we put on a YouTube video. We panic at a two-minute lull in a conversation and reach for our phones. We've forgotten how to just exist. Human beings currently have a shorter attention span than goldfish. We have a shorter attention span than the poster child for short attention spans. We can't finish an article, sit through a movie, or be alone with our thoughts without reaching for distraction(If you’ve made it this far, congratulations).
There is a misconception that boredom is wasted time, however, it's when our brains actually process, consolidate memories, and generate ideas. The feeling of “spacing out” is actually when creativity happens. We've traded depth for constant shallow stimulation, making us exhausted, scattered, and hungry for something we can't name.
Some quick Tips to Reclaim Boredom and Regain Your Attention Span:
1. Start with Micro-Boredom (5-10 minutes)
Find the tiny gaps in your day and resist filling them. Wait in line at the coffee shop without pulling out your phone. Sit in your parked car for five minutes before heading into work or home. Stand at the bus stop and just stand there.
2. Create Sacred Phone-Free Zones
Designate specific places where your phone simply doesn't go. The bathroom, the bedroom after nine at night, and the first hour after waking up. These zones force boredom back into your life, whether you like it or not. You'll be amazed at what your brain does when it can't scroll. Protect these zones fiercely, they're where your attention span heals.
3. Rediscover Monotonous Tasks
At one point, chores were just chores. Pick one daily task and do it in complete silence. Wash dishes and feel the water temperature change. Walk around your neighborhood without earbuds and listen to the birds, traffic, and your own footsteps. Take a shower without planning your day or replaying conversations. These monotonous moments are boredom training wheels. Your mind will wander, you'll daydream. You might solve a problem that's been nagging you. This is your brain doing what it's designed to do when you stop force-feeding it content.
We're desperately seeking focus, trying meditation apps and productivity hacks, when the answer is radically simple. Stop filling every gap. Let yourself be bored. Your brain remembers what to do with emptiness, it just needs permission to be empty again. Boredom isn't the problem we need to solve. It's the solution we've been avoiding.
