Live data from Hacker News

Social media may prevent users from reaping creative rewards of profound boredom

bath.ac.uk

91–100 of 161 posts

Re: Social media may prevent users from reaping creative rewards of profound boredom

#91
Funny to read this today. Last night I got sick of TV, sick of all the interwebs' distractions, and just sat there with eyes closed, letting my mind wander.

Finally I remembered I wanted to read Fathers and Sons (Turgenev). Here's a great question: why am I here and not reading that? BRB.

Re: Social media may prevent users from reaping creative rewards of profound boredom

#92

I’m a writer and I always do my best work when I leave the phone at home. In fact when I can, I leave it at home for several days in a row.

Your computer cant access social media?

I don't mean to be glib, but I often see people discuss this as though it's a smartphone only thing. It's just as possible to doom scroll on the big screen.

Maybe I'm jealous that some people can restrict time wasting to just the phone.

Re: Social media may prevent users from reaping creative rewards of profound boredom

#93

Perhaps this is due to my insufficient understanding of English, but "an abundance of uninterrupted time spent in relative solitude" doesn't sound like boredom to me, especially if the time is spent on active thinking. If you are deeply engaged in musing, despite the solitary situation, you are not really bored, are you? At least I wouldn't call it being bored. You've got something to do, and you're well occupied by…

I agree about the terminology not being the best so the article tries to differentiate it from normal boredom by calling it "profound boredom"

Re: Social media may prevent users from reaping creative rewards of profound boredom

#94

There's a brazillian song called Tédio (Boredom) that was popular in the 80's. It talks about not withstanding boredom inside home, while life goes on out there. It's curious how the depicted feeling is so unrelatable today. I think boredom is a real force that pushes ourselves to the edge, to hopefully make a change in life, like going out to see real people. Social media creates this cozy, safe place to keep your m…

I'm so grateful for having abandoned social networks. My main motivator were the fights over political weaponization of COVID-19, but then I went on and abandoned youtube and news as well. Now, I'm halfway with my first book, found a new hobby and developed my previous ones, rediscovered programming for fun, am learning a new foreign language, found a new job with very good compensation, lost 10 kg and became a better husband. My life is so fundamentally better.

Re: Social media may prevent users from reaping creative rewards of profound boredom

#95

There's a brazillian song called Tédio (Boredom) that was popular in the 80's. It talks about not withstanding boredom inside home, while life goes on out there. It's curious how the depicted feeling is so unrelatable today. I think boredom is a real force that pushes ourselves to the edge, to hopefully make a change in life, like going out to see real people. Social media creates this cozy, safe place to keep your m…

I'm so grateful for having abandoned social networks. My main motivator were the fights over political weaponization of COVID-19, but then I went on and abandoned youtube and news as well. Now, I'm halfway with my first book, found a new hobby and developed my previous ones, rediscovered programming for fun, am learning a new foreign language, found a new job with very good compensation, lost 10 kg and became a bette…

Is browsing and commenting on Hacker News not considered social media use though?

Re: Social media may prevent users from reaping creative rewards of profound boredom

#96
post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s a difference of degree not kind. The constant audiovisual stimulus running through the internet is much more powerful than any of those things, and more widely available. Cable TV was close. It was always on in the room, but you had to be in the room, and you had to negotiate with your cohabitants over what to have on, or else you could go somewhere and be bored. There are no constraints anymore, with exceptions…

Computers with social media are so extremely reactive. Literally within half a second I can react to my boredom and find new content. I've noticed myself beginning to read a sentence, get bored half-way through, switch tabs, look over the new recommendations, do it again 30 seconds later. Never bored, and yet never really entertained or satisfied.

One trick I've found to help with this is to live-stream. I once streamed a game on Twitch, nobody really watched, but it forced me to sit down and actually play the game for a good 2 or 3 hours. It was draining, gloriously draining and satisfying. You can stream programming and other personal projects as well. It doesn't matter if you get many viewers or not, just forcing yourself to maintain a consistent course of action helps. If you do get some real viewers though, all the better, you can monetize your work and enjoy free advice and socializing with viewers.

Re: Social media may prevent users from reaping creative rewards of profound boredom

#97

Perhaps this is due to my insufficient understanding of English, but "an abundance of uninterrupted time spent in relative solitude" doesn't sound like boredom to me, especially if the time is spent on active thinking. If you are deeply engaged in musing, despite the solitary situation, you are not really bored, are you? At least I wouldn't call it being bored. You've got something to do, and you're well occupied by…

It's a bit to do with any academic endeavour, give something common and simple a profound name and you can write a paper describing it.

Re: Social media may prevent users from reaping creative rewards of profound boredom

#98
post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I disagree that this is a social media, I don't even look at the names of those who leave comments or those I reply to. It's like I'm reading and talking to the hivemind.

You don't get it. It's social media. You interact get upvotes(dopamine hits). argue and feel entertained through the screen of your device.

These things are all possible in iMessage. Is iMessage social media?

Re: Social media may prevent users from reaping creative rewards of profound boredom

#99
What exactly is the difference between idling, daydreaming, meditating, musing or sitting on sofa with eyes shut and profound boredom?

Aren't all these activities doing the same thing, giving the brain pause to calm down, to refocus. Perhaps our brains require idle times as our bodies need pause after exercise.

Re: Social media may prevent users from reaping creative rewards of profound boredom

#100

There's a brazillian song called Tédio (Boredom) that was popular in the 80's. It talks about not withstanding boredom inside home, while life goes on out there. It's curious how the depicted feeling is so unrelatable today. I think boredom is a real force that pushes ourselves to the edge, to hopefully make a change in life, like going out to see real people. Social media creates this cozy, safe place to keep your m…

I'd like to hear this song. But i searched for Tédio and couldn't find it. Can you find it?
Post reply on HN