"I'm bored!"

By Jeremy Freeman

Every parent hears this refrain. Now that cold weather is setting in, we are all spending more time together indoors and you are probably hearing it a lot more. "I'm bored."

In our household of seven, there are days when the kids play endlessly together, sparking new ideas for each other into the evolving activity that lives somewhere between a game, a theatrical play and a wrestling match. Then there are other days when a single glance from a sibling produces disdain and the "boreds." I picture the boreds as small creatures covered in bumps, popping out of my children's mouths like corn from a hot kettle.

The Band-Aid solution for boredom is new activities. "Find a new toy! Play a new game! Go outside!," parents cry, as the wind howls and we stay inside, wearing flannel pajamas and holding cups of tea. If the Band-Aid fails to work, the children may return to their screens. The boreds fall back for a time, but rear their ugly heads in vengeance when the screens are shut off. 

If you resonate with these scenarios, you’re not wrong. Research done over the past decade identified that youth boredom rose within and across grades (8-12) for much of the last decade. While boredom is not inherently bad, left unaddressed it may be associated with depression and risky behaviors, which further research confirms.

If we looked for the word bored in the imaginary parents' dictionary, we might find a hundred definitions. The word bored may be used interchangeably with hungry, tired, lonely, controlled, thoughtful, curious, sad, depressed and heartbroken. 

One way to look at it is that boredom is a gateway between states of being. Our challenge is to help youth build the bridges between states. If we intentionally tune in to youth needs, we can help them navigate their current state, which has reached its threshold and is moving into a new one. Beyond boredom, young people can find new spaces of discovery, action and innovation. They can also find rest and a place to internalize, reflect and create meaning.

Research has shown that youth who have a higher sense of autonomy and agency are less bored. Activities done out of free choice cause lower levels of boredom than those done out of compulsion. Not surprisingly, youth choice, youth engagement and socio-emotional needs are inseparable.

So what does this mean for youth practitioners? Here are a few questions to ponder:

• In our programmatic, efficient systems, are we attentive to the inner needs of our young people?
• Do we fear boredom and emptiness?
• How are the places and spaces we create instilling thoughtful transitions between the gateways of boredom and being?

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

-- Jeremy Freeman, Extension educator

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