In Defense of Being Bored

Our instinct is often to fix it. Suggest an activity. Hand over a phone. Find something to do. Anything to prevent the dreaded condition known as teenage boredom.

But what if boredom isn't something we need to eliminate?

What if it's actually good for them?

In a world where our teenagers can fill every quiet moment with a text, video, game, notification, playlist, or scroll, boredom has become surprisingly rare, and surprisingly valuable.

Boredom Makes Room for Creativity

When there is nothing immediately demanding our attention, the brain starts looking for something to do. That's when daydreaming happens. Ideas emerge. Kids doodle, write, build, explore, create, or simply start wondering about things.

Some of the best ideas begin with, “There's nothing to do.”

Boredom Builds Independence

When we're constantly providing entertainment and activities, children can become accustomed to being told what comes next. Boredom asks them to figure it out themselves. Maybe they go outside. Maybe they pick up a guitar. Maybe they reorganize their room (we can dream). Maybe they simply sit and think.

Learning how to occupy yourself without someone, or something, doing it for you is an important life skill.

Boredom Builds Tolerance for Discomfort

Not every moment of life is stimulating. There will be boring meetings, long flights, quiet afternoons, difficult books, slow progress, and tasks that are simply...well...boring.

Learning that “I'm bored” doesn't automatically mean “I need something to entertain me” is a small but meaningful lesson in patience and self-regulation.

So What Should Parents Do?

Probably less than you think. The next time your teenager announces, with great suffering, that there is absolutely nothing to do, resist the urge to produce a 12-item itinerary.

You can simply say: “That's okay. You don't have to be entertained every minute.”

Then let the silence do some work.

Put down the phone. Leave some empty space in the schedule. Take a walk without headphones. Sit outside. Let the car ride be quiet once in a while. We spend so much time teaching our kids how to fill their calendars. Maybe we should also teach them how to leave a little room in them.

Sometimes, boredom isn't the absence of something to do. It's the space where something new can begin.

Amy Bowman is the High School Principal at Pinecrest Academy. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Villanova University and a Master of Art in Teaching from the University of West Georgia. Mrs. Bowman joined Pinecrest in 2017 as a biology teacher. Named Dean of Academics in 2020, she worked closely with the High School Principal and the Dean of Students in assisting with day-to-day operations of the High School. In Spring 2022, Mrs. Bowman was named High School Principal.