TED Talks Daily
Why you shouldn't trust boredom | Kevin H. Gary
Nov 24, 2023
Kevin H. Gary, an educator known for his practical approaches, dives into the complexities of boredom and its impact on engagement. He discusses how students often turn to distractions like smartphones to escape boredom and even prefer physical pain over it. Gary shares personal insights on the unexpected benefits of boredom, emphasizing its potential to foster creativity and agency. He provides listeners with three actionable strategies to navigate and confront boredom, helping them reclaim their attention and improve their learning experiences.
11:17
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Quick takeaways
- Boredom is a complex issue that affects educational outcomes and can lead to negative consequences like dropping out and addictive behaviors.
- To effectively manage boredom, it is important to find a middle ground between avoidance and resignation strategies and reframe our understanding of boredom.
Deep dives
Boredom's Impact in Education
Boredom is a prevalent issue in schools, with a majority of high school students reporting feeling bored. This boredom leads to a loss of interest, inability to focus, and can even result in misbehavior. Chronic boredom in school can ultimately lead to students dropping out. Boredom extends beyond the educational system, as it is linked to troubling addictive behaviors like excessive drinking, eating, spending, and aimless time-wasting. It is crucial to address boredom as something more complex than a trivial problem to prevent these negative consequences.
