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Children should be allowed to get bored (2013)

bbc.com

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Re: Children should be allowed to get bored (2013)

#101

Post by watwut »

theGnuMe wrote: post #32
watwut wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is not about not allowing kids to be bored. This is about them wanting parents to create situations when kids are bored (by preventing their access to electronics specifically). As in, boredom nowdays requires additional work on the side of parents.

Dad, can I bring my iPad? Me: no Dad, my iPad is dead. Can I use your phone? Me: no And so forth. Not hard.

Dad, can I go to visit my friend Johny?

Me: yes.

And there they are, watching movies with Johny in Johny house.

Re: Children should be allowed to get bored (2013)

#102

Post by kstenerud »

Ekaros wrote: post #100
kstenerud wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's unfortunate that he spoke in terms of absolutes with this quote. Yes, there are a number of problems that can be solved by sitting quietly, but there are many more problems that cannot. - A fire - An angry girlfriend - Racism - A border dispute - Monopolies - Corruption - War

Of the list isn't all but first one caused by inability to sit quietly in a room? And even for fires good amount of fires is caused by that...

No. And that's the entire problem. People use this quote as some kind of truism, and since you couldn't ever get all people to sit alone quietly in a room, it also cannot be disproven (much like my anti-meteor stone that I carry with me).

It then gets dressed up as some kind of mystical wisdom when it was never intended to be that big. It's become an easy way to believe oneself wise without having to actually think.

Re: Children should be allowed to get bored (2013)

#103

Post by mihaaly »

netsharc wrote: post #80
lordofgibbons wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Anecdotally, I just took a long vacation in a country without much cell connectivity, and had a great time. It was very eye opening. But ever since coming back, I've been extremely unmotivated to work. I'm not sure if this counts as work burnout, but I'm sure the vacation had an impact.

Where's this. My first thought was North Korea, I wonder if people there are hella creative, but I guess sadly they're too busy doing things the medieval way to have free time. Second guess is Mongolia, where the steppes go on and on forever...

Parts of California suffice! : ) 10 years ago good part of the four corners states was also good for bad reception, I recall 1.5 days spent in Page without any connection.

Re: Children should be allowed to get bored (2013)

#104

Post by prmoustache »

netsharc wrote: post #80
lordofgibbons wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Anecdotally, I just took a long vacation in a country without much cell connectivity, and had a great time. It was very eye opening. But ever since coming back, I've been extremely unmotivated to work. I'm not sure if this counts as work burnout, but I'm sure the vacation had an impact.

Where's this. My first thought was North Korea, I wonder if people there are hella creative, but I guess sadly they're too busy doing things the medieval way to have free time. Second guess is Mongolia, where the steppes go on and on forever...

I am regularly out of cellphone network when riding my mountain bike. And I am riding to the trail, so it is really like 15km away.

Re: Children should be allowed to get bored (2013)

#106

Post by mihaaly »

xkbarkar wrote: post #47

I feel the destructive behaviour of bored kids is forgotten a bit. Growing up in the late 70s early 80s we were kicked out of the house until dinner. We did a lot of really dangerous things exploring. Among these, -Playing in storm drains. Inside the narrow tunnels I might add. -Abandoned construction sites. -Railway tracks. Putting things o the rails waiting for the train to see what happened. Everything from rocks…

You genuinely discovered an other aspect of personality development in childhood, risky play: https://www.afterbabel.com/p/why-children-need-risk-fear-and...

Re: Children should be allowed to get bored (2013)

#107

Post by keybored »

bigoldie wrote: post #45

I often think that a lot of people are depressed and/or in a burn out because they don't give themselves a moment to do nothing. A moment were the brain can get up to speed with all the bombardments of information. In the past we had moments we were bored. Now, we always have a phone or other screen were we can indulge on dopamine.

Dopamine isn’t something you indulge in. It certainly isn’t the pleasure itself.

The more appropriate common vernacular is “instant gratification” IMO. (And interestingly dopamine is associated with expectations of things like pleasure. But if you pull out your phone immediately when nothing is happening then there is a very small window for expectation to happen.)

Re: Children should be allowed to get bored (2013)

#108

Post by interludead »

bigoldie wrote: post #45

I often think that a lot of people are depressed and/or in a burn out because they don't give themselves a moment to do nothing. A moment were the brain can get up to speed with all the bombardments of information. In the past we had moments we were bored. Now, we always have a phone or other screen were we can indulge on dopamine.

Not so many understand that our brains need downtime to process experiences and emotions, and the lack of it can contribute to burnout

Re: Children should be allowed to get bored (2013)

#109

Post by interludead »

xkbarkar wrote: post #47

I feel the destructive behaviour of bored kids is forgotten a bit. Growing up in the late 70s early 80s we were kicked out of the house until dinner. We did a lot of really dangerous things exploring. Among these, -Playing in storm drains. Inside the narrow tunnels I might add. -Abandoned construction sites. -Railway tracks. Putting things o the rails waiting for the train to see what happened. Everything from rocks…

And acually boredom can allow children to become more self-reliant!

Re: Children should be allowed to get bored (2013)

#110

Post by keybored »

ricketyricky wrote: post #57
xkbarkar wrote: post #47

I feel the destructive behaviour of bored kids is forgotten a bit. Growing up in the late 70s early 80s we were kicked out of the house until dinner. We did a lot of really dangerous things exploring. Among these, -Playing in storm drains. Inside the narrow tunnels I might add. -Abandoned construction sites. -Railway tracks. Putting things o the rails waiting for the train to see what happened. Everything from rocks…

Ehem - sounds like a normal childhood? Compare that to the sheltered, all-wishes-granted and no minute spent w/o distractions like social media, kids. Started with Gen Z who get all angsty, with panic attacks, when they have to start performing, i.e., during final exams and the like. And never learned to deal with emotions and free-floating thoughts, handling themself, keeping calm. (all observed from multiple cowork…

This follows the for-me-not-for-thee principle:

- The parent who grew up in the self-identify as a tough rugrat who had fun and was fearless; not a wuzz like those modern kids (“kids” here excludes their own)

- But the parent would rather that their kids be safe than to have to pain themselves worrying about them constantly

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