Not Another Boring AC Article!

I was so bored! Once logged into Facebook, I saw that several of my friends had under their status that they were "bored," too.

Once my feelings of boredom waned, I decided to pursue an understanding of the condition. It's been defined as both "an unpleasant, transient affective state" and "an affective experience associated with cognitive attentional processes," so one could say that it's something that he or she experiences and a specific emotional and mental condition; but what does this mean? When I was bored, I had plenty of things in front of me: an interesting Calvino novel that I was finally understanding, a pleasant afternoon to enjoy with a walk and a couple favorite films to watch again, but I couldn't latch on to any of these things to occupy my time.

What Causes Boredom?

One of the most obvious causes of boredom is the lack of stimulation. Before starting graduate school I worked in an office for over a year, and my job was pretty monotonous with very little variation. I envied those who had exciting, unpredictable jobs such a doctors, nurses and teachers, because they required the ability to adapt to change at a moment's notice. However, some good came out of my boredom: one day while stuck in the mailroom, I explained to Andy how a small part of Russia is not connected to the rest of the country, (Kaliningrad Oblast, I'm a geography geek) and enjoyed the moment. As many of you already know, I'm almost done with my certification to become a teacher.

In don't anticipate being bored as a teacher, but I need to differentiate instruction well enough to ensure that my students are not bored, either. Bored students fall under two umbrellas: those who are bored because they don't understand, and those who are bored because they are not being challenged enough. If a student does not understand something, such as how to find the area of a triangle, then he or she will assume that either the teacher doesn't care enough to slow down or there's no point in following along because the lesson is lost. How many times have you become bored in lecture because the material is too confusing to even care?

Alternately, students become bored if they know the material inside and out and it's predictable. One of the children that I tutored last year was bored and restless because she wasn't being challenged enough with the material, and I should have known better.

If you've ever heard somewhere say "Been there, done that" or bemoan the fact that they have everything they've ever wanted in life but a worthwhile pursuit, you're talking to some bored individuals. Living in luxury has its perks, but if you can afford to travel the world and collect every film that starts with the letter "M" that was ever made, you may feel like life has nothing else to offer for you (unless of course you're determined to see "Memento" until you completely understand every angle of the plot)

Is boredom a good thing? Some will argue that it is, that it allows time for reflection and getting the creative juices flowing. However, people who are bored may resort to temptation rather than seek constructive distractions. I know that when I'm bored, I often seek the solace of the refrigerator-after Facebook's charm wears off-and I'm trying to maintain my figure! More serious are those who resort to drugs, alcohol and gambling to overcome their feelings. Studies have shown that pathological gambling is linked to boredom, because those who become addicted seek the stimulation that comes from potentially winning.

I hope that this didn't bore you. Are you yawning?