Technology Pitfalls: Bored Out of Our Mind, Body and Spirit
“Boredom is your mind and body’s way of telling you you’re not living up to your potential.” - Hal Sparks
Researcher John Eastwood (York University, Ontario) and colleagues define boredom as "an aversive state of wanting, but being unable, to engage in satisfying activity" (Rader 1). There is good and bad in everything and boredom is no exception. Boredom has become pervasive in response to technology, this technology induced boredom has played a huge role in today’s culture. Our lives have become bound together by an entanglement of electronics. The items intended to entertain, assist and even protect us are also harmful if not used with care. Has the old school belief that boredom …show more content…
The word spirit is derived from the Latin spiritus (breath) and so; inspiration or breath of life. Parents have an innate desire to “breathe life” into their child and to nurture them to independence. Children often proclaim the “I’m bored report”. Instead of defaulting to a hi-tech distraction, modern parents are beginning to understand that technology actually interferes with a child’s ability to nurture and develop their own creativity. Just as Plato once said, “Necessity is the mother of invention” so is boredom the mother of creativity. Children who are allowed to become bored, learn how to engage with themselves and the world around them through unstructured activity called child’s play. Child’s play is a stepping stone in human development. Kids need first-hand engagement - they need to manipulate objects physically, engage all their senses, and move and interact with the 3-dimensional world. This is what maximizes their learning and brain development (Strauss 1). This is a time that learning happens. As a child taps into their creativity, they become deeper thinkers (Markham 1) and develop self-awareness. “I’m bored” is an opportunity to strengthen a child’s creative spirit instead of dulling it with hi-tech crutch.
“Boredom is your mind and body’s way of telling you you’re not living up to your potential.” - Hal Sparks
Researcher John Eastwood (York University, Ontario) and colleagues define boredom as "an aversive state of wanting, but being unable, to engage in satisfying activity" (Rader 1). There is good and bad in everything and boredom is no exception. Boredom has become pervasive in response to technology, this technology induced boredom has played a huge role in today’s culture. Our lives have become bound together by an entanglement of electronics. The items intended to entertain, assist and even protect us are also harmful if not used with care. Has the old school belief that boredom …show more content…
The word spirit is derived from the Latin spiritus (breath) and so; inspiration or breath of life. Parents have an innate desire to “breathe life” into their child and to nurture them to independence. Children often proclaim the “I’m bored report”. Instead of defaulting to a hi-tech distraction, modern parents are beginning to understand that technology actually interferes with a child’s ability to nurture and develop their own creativity. Just as Plato once said, “Necessity is the mother of invention” so is boredom the mother of creativity. Children who are allowed to become bored, learn how to engage with themselves and the world around them through unstructured activity called child’s play. Child’s play is a stepping stone in human development. Kids need first-hand engagement - they need to manipulate objects physically, engage all their senses, and move and interact with the 3-dimensional world. This is what maximizes their learning and brain development (Strauss 1). This is a time that learning happens. As a child taps into their creativity, they become deeper thinkers (Markham 1) and develop self-awareness. “I’m bored” is an opportunity to strengthen a child’s creative spirit instead of dulling it with hi-tech crutch.