The Uses of Boredom
Written by Studio AM.
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Boredom can feel like an empty room, and our first instinct is to fill it. We reach for a screen, a snack, or a conversation to escape the discomfort of having nothing to do. We treat the feeling as a problem to solve quickly.
But boredom may be doing something useful. An undirected moment gives us a chance to notice our own thoughts rather than follow a ready-made activity. Imagine a child who cannot decide what to play: the floorboards become a river and the couch becomes a ship. The game begins with a pause and a new use for familiar things.
That imagined scene is not proof that boredom always produces creativity. People can also feel stuck or unhappy, and children still need support. The smaller suggestion is to leave room for some unplanned time. Instead of trying to numb every quiet moment with more stimulation, we can sometimes stay with our restlessness and see what we choose to do next.
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Questions
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Question 1 of 4
What is the main point of this passage?
The answer is B: Boredom can spark creativity and should not always be escaped
The author argues boredom 'may be doing something useful' by prompting the mind to invent and create.
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Question 2 of 4
Why does the author mention the bored child?
The answer is B: To illustrate one possible use of unplanned time
The imagined child turns familiar furniture into a game. The next paragraph explicitly says this example does not prove that boredom always produces creativity.
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Question 3 of 4
In this passage, 'numb' most nearly means to
The answer is B: dull or deaden
To numb a feeling is to make it less noticeable or intense. Here, the author describes using constant stimulation to dull the discomfort of quiet moments.
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Question 4 of 4
According to the passage, what does the couch become in the bored child's game?
The answer is C: A ship
The text says "the floorboards become a river and the couch becomes a ship."
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