More boredom in our lives (i.e., chronic boredom) is not healthy.

Raw-dogging boredom misses the point of boredom.

Boredom is a call to act—not a call for more boredom.

You’re on a 15-hour flight from San Francisco to Melbourne. The entertainment system is out and you didn’t bring a book. Sleep does not come easily to you on planes. You’ve read through the in-flight magazine—twice! There is nothing more to do, and hours yet to go. This seems like the most fertile grounds imaginable for an excruciating, soul-crushing episode of boredom.[i]

And yet, there are some who have intentionally engaged in this experience. Young TikTokkers, willfully doing nothing on a long-haul flight or even just in the comfort of their own homes—raw-dogging boredom!

Set aside for a moment the performative nature of this stunt (Why do we need to share our boredom with others?) and ask, is there really any value to inviting more boredom into our lives?

Chronic Boredom and Mental Health

There are so many reasons why it is not a good idea to welcome more boredom into our lives any more than it already lives there. First among these is the mountain of data showing that chronic boredom is bad for our mental health. It is associated with elevated levels of depression and anxiety, and higher rates of drug and alcohol abuse, among all manner of other ills. It makes little sense to intentionally participate in something you know will make you feel worse.

And we have known since the 1950s that an even more extreme manner of doing nothing—sensory deprivation[ii]—is also associated with negative........

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