Boredom. What does your family do about it?

Maintaining my commitment to sharing concerns, today's post prompts reflection on the growing hyper-connectivity and hyper-stimulation of the modern world.

In the last century, in the city of Rio de Janeiro, BIQUINI CAVADÃO released "Tédio" (Boredom) — the band's first hit, with a chorus that invited reflection on what seemingly had no remedy:

"Sitting in my room Time flies by Life goes by outside And I'm here doing nothing I've tried everything, but I have no remedy to rid myself of this boredom."

Almost 50 years later, our habits have changed, and recent research reveals a new scenario: a large portion of the Brazilian population spends 53.5 hours browsing TikTok, Netflix series, and similar media. The world average is 33.5 hours per week! - Could this be one of the strategies we use to avoid feeling bored today? And is it really as bad as we're told?

Before answering, let's consider some scientific facts:

• The different regions of our brain work in synchrony.

• The way they are activated allows them to act in various combinations, as needed.

• These combinations, when repeated, generate specific patterns and form neural networks.

We function in the "default mode network" for half of our day—it kicks in during mental rest between conscious activities, such as, for example, in line at the supermarket and in the doctor's waiting room.

Whenever we are performing routine activities, such as showering, washing dishes, brushing our teeth, or even waiting for a ride-sharing service, our brain also enters this default mode of operation - time to connect with our thoughts and our inner world.

Have you ever noticed that some of your most brilliant ideas have come to you in these situations? Well, it's no coincidence! There's a close relationship between default network activation and creativity…

However… With the increasing demands for performance in today's world, it's becoming rarer to be idle, connected to what's happening inside us, "spacing out," as younger people would say. Nowadays, being idle seems synonymous with connection.

Apparently, we're filling the moments when the default mode network could kick in with activities that keep us attentive to stimuli from the outside world. Whether on our cell phones, computer screens, or televisions, we are hyper-connected and hyper-stimulated. Disconnected from ourselves? Distant from what fuels our creative potential?

Well, you already have enough information to start thinking about the questions I asked at the beginning about the 53.5 hours a week we spend connected - perhaps to avoid boredom.

How about sharing your impressions?

Vanessa Meirelles

Therapist and Researcher of Human Identity

Master's degree in Social Psychology from PUC São Paulo

Full member of the Brazilian Association of Psychomotricity - ABP 751

Member of the Brazilian Association of Psychopedagogy - ABPp 722

Image: Jayalekshman SJ

Biquini Cavadão live " Tédio " https://youtu.be/aLp9HKDHIFg?si=KJ1Mpe-ZK4_s2ZJWThe

Journey of the Default Mode Network: Development, Function, and Impact on Mental Health https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12025022/