The Boredom Deficit: Gen Z’s Greatest Downfall
- Faith Graham
- Jan 6
- 5 min read
When was the last time you were bored?
Not distracted. Not tired. Not scrolling while calling it rest. Actually bored. Sitting with nothing to react to, nothing to consume, nothing demanding your attention.
The question seems simple, almost meaningless. But the truth is, you might not even know the answer. Because in the modern world, we do not allow ourselves to be bored. The moment boredom begins to surface, we silence it. We reach for our phones. We turn on music. We find work to do. We fill the space immediately, as if boredom is something dangerous that needs to be eliminated.
And I think that fear of boredom has changed us.
Boredom is treated like a weakness, something unproductive, something to avoid at all costs. We are taught that every moment must be filled, optimized, entertained. Silence feels uncomfortable. Stillness feels wrong. But what if that discomfort is not something to run from? What if it is something we are supposed to sit inside?
I think our constant avoidance of boredom has made us less creative. I think it has made this generation less willing to sit with their own minds. When I look at art and music from earlier generations, there is a depth that feels rare today. Real lyrical music. Real thought. Real risk. And I do not think it is because we lack talent. I think it is because we never give ourselves the mental space to reach that depth.
We are overstimulated. Constantly reacting. Constantly consuming. And because of that, we are stuck. Not because we cannot create, but because we do not let our minds rest long enough to create something real.
Right now, as I am writing this, I am bored. There is nothing filling the silence except my thoughts. And strangely, that is exactly why I am able to write this. This is boredom, but it is also something else. A different kind of thinking begins to happen when nothing is demanding your attention.
There is a quote I always think about, though I cannot remember where it came from. It asks, “Is it better to speak or to die?” And the answer is always to speak. Because silence feels like disappearance. Silence feels like something we are taught to fear.
We run from silence. The moment we can hear our own thoughts, especially as teenagers, we feel uncomfortable. We do not want to sit inside our own minds. So we fill the quiet immediately. We distract ourselves before our thoughts can fully form. But in doing that, we lose something. We lose the chance to understand what our minds are actually trying to tell us.
There is this green bench at my school where I would sit and do nothing. I would watch people walk by, watch cars pass, and just look out. No phone. No music. No distraction. And almost every time, I had some kind of realization. Something would click. A thought would form. A direction would appear. Those moments were quiet, but they mattered.
I think creativity is like a locked room in the brain. There is a key, but we cannot find it when everything is loud. When our minds are crowded with constant stimulation, the last thing we are doing is searching for that key. But in silence, in what we now call boredom, we finally have the space to find it. And once we open that door, that is where ideas live.
I do not see that level of depth in art or lyrical creativity from this generation. And I think overstimulation plays a role. I see it in myself. The moment I stop doing schoolwork, I reach for my phone. There is no space left to think, to process, to create. No space to become something instead of simply reacting to what is already given.
So maybe boredom is not the enemy. Maybe it is the place where thought begins. Lets unpack it!!
What Boredom Actually Activates in the Brain
According to research published in Experimental Brain Research, boredom engages parts of the brain differently than when we are actively focused on a task. When people experience low stimulation or monotonous tasks, brain regions associated with the default mode network (DMN) show patterns of activity that differ from focused attention states, suggesting the brain shifts to an internal processing mode during boredom.
Scientists also have observed unique brainwave activity during boredom. A study reported in Scientific Reports found that during boredom there is increased activity in gamma and beta brainwaves, which may help the brain use its resources more efficiently and support thinking processes rather than simply disengaging.
According to The Neuroscience News, when the brain experiences boredom, it “shifts away from external attention networks and activates introspective systems,” encouraging creativity and self‑reflection by allowing internal thought processes to take over.
In simple terms, boredom activates the brain’s internal thinking networks rather than shutting the brain off.
Why the Brain Needs Boredom for Creativity
Research in cognitive neuroscience shows that the default mode network (DMN) — the same network activated in boredom — plays a major role in creative thinking. According to a review in Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, the DMN supports spontaneous cognition and associative thinking, both of which are central to generating new ideas.
According to the Kiltimagh Psychology summary of scientific findings, when the brain stops being fed constant novelty and external demands, the default mode network becomes more active and begins reorganizing internal information. In this state, memories, emotions, and abstract concepts can combine in novel ways that lead to creative insights.
In experimental contexts, studies have shown that engaging in low‑stimulus or monotonous activities before a creative task can improve performance on creative thinking tests. This suggests that the period of boredom primes the brain’s internal networks, preparing it for divergent thinking and idea generation.
So, according to current science, the brain needs boredom because it creates neural conditions where reflection and internal idea building become possible — processes that don’t occur when the mind is constantly reacting to external stimulation.
How Modern Stimulation Disrupts This Process
Research on modern digital attention and overstimulation explains how constant external input changes how our brains think and behave. According to The Overstimulated Mind, modern technology and frequent notifications repeatedly activate the brain’s reward systems, elevating dopamine and fragmenting attention. This continuous cycle keeps the brain in a reactive state rather than one that supports internal reflection.
Constantly feeding the brain external stimuli limits the time it spends in the default mode network and introspective states that support creativity and emotional regulation. When our brains are always engaged with screens and notifications, there is less opportunity for the internal exploration that boredom naturally provides.
In other words, modern stimulation interrupts the brain’s natural ability to let networks switch into a reflective mode. Instead of mind wandering or daydreaming, our attention is captured by external cues. This stops the brain from entering the mental states where creativity, insight, and deeper thinking are most likely to emerge.
What if the silence we run from is the very space where we discover who we are and what we can create? A generation that never sits in stillness risks more than just losing creativity — it risks losing the chance to understand ourselves.
Boredom is not empty; it is the seed of thought, the doorway to imagination, and the quiet space where our most original ideas begin. The real question is, will we ever let ourselves enter it?
Thank you for reading. My sources are listed below:
Alexander. (2025, November 4). Why feeling bored can actually make you more creative, neuroscientists explain - Kiltimagh. Kiltimagh. https://www.kiltimagh.net/psychology/why-feeling-bored-can-actually-make-you-more-creative-neuroscientists-explain-1496/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Luchini, S. A., Volle, E., & Beaty, R. E. (2025). The role of the default mode network in creativity. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 65, 101551. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cobeha.2025.101551
Monis, A. (2025, October 28). The overstimulated mind: technology, dopamine, and the collapse of attention — Dr.ANN. dr.ANN (Copy) (Copy). https://www.drann.com/the-drann-briefing/the-overstimulated-mind?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Neuroscience News. (2025, May 25). Boredom is good for you: Why embracing it calms the brain. https://neurosciencenews.com/boredom-overstimulation-neuroscience-29141/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
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