Battling Boredom?
Boredom is not a boring subject. If you consult the original Webster’s 1828 dictionary and look up the word boredom, it’s not there. If you look up bored, you’ll read the following, “Perforated by an auger or other turning instrument; made hollow.” It seems that boredom is something new in our culture. In an article in The New York Times, Richard Friedman writes,
“The very concept of boredom seems to be a modern invention …the word boredom did not enter the lexicon until the mid-19th century. Before that, tedium was an expected part of life. It was only with the rise of consumer culture in the 20th century that people were promised nearly continuous excitement; boredom was the inevitable consequence of such unrealistic expectations.”
Boredom is incubated in a culture with lots of time for leisure. Tedium, or things that are tedious, are not the same thing as boredom. Boredom is an emotional state when you are doing nothing and are unmotivated to do something. One dictionary defines boredom as “The state of feeling bored.”
Tedium on the other hand is only understood in the context of doing something. It is doing something that is tiresome or keeping occupied with a task that is repetitive. Tedious responsibilities take time and are not exciting or entertaining. Tedium has actual value, and boredom has none. Another word in the Bible that describes this is toil.
Here’s an example from King Solomon in Ecclesiastes 5:18 which says, “Here is what I have seen: It is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage.” King Solomon connects labor with toil, which are not entertaining, but are essential to a purposeful and meaningful life.
Time for a reality check—real life, even a heroic life, is full of tedium. The day-to-day stuff of real life takes hard work, perseverance, and choosing to do hard things. A meaningful life is not found by merely taking the path of least resistance. There is no special talent or skill needed to zone out in front of a screen to be entertained.
If we are committed to finding balance and regaining focus, it cannot be found by trying to imitate a world that no longer exists without electricity and other new technologies. Neither will it be found through heedless enthusiasm that neglects to consider the importance of limitations and self-control.
The answer to the problem of boredom is not more entertainment. Excessive screen time can be a black hole that sucks the purpose out of your family’s life. It doesn’t satisfy your deepest longing for purpose and meaning. It only allows you to temporarily escape and live vicariously in the moment. In fact, the more time children spend in front of a screen, the more likely they will be distracted from discovering purpose and meaning in life.
