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Gen Z's 'Dopamine Diet': Boredom is the New Luxury
22 Nov
Summary
- Young people intentionally embrace boredom to combat overstimulation.
- Experts debate if 'rawdogging boredom' effectively improves attention spans.
- Declining attention spans have fallen from 2.5 minutes to 40 seconds.
Gen Z is exploring a trend called 'rawdogging boredom,' intentionally seeking periods of inactivity and lack of stimulation. This phenomenon arises from an age of pervasive overstimulation, where boredom has become a scarce commodity. The practice involves putting down devices and engaging in 'doing nothing' for varying durations.
Experts weigh in on the potential effectiveness of this trend for improving attention spans. While some acknowledge that regular, mindful boredom could foster creativity and deep thinking, others emphasize the need for a structured approach. They suggest that isolated instances may not yield lasting benefits, and a gradual increase in tolerance for boredom, akin to systematic desensitization, might be more beneficial.
The context for this trend is the well-documented decline in attention spans, which have significantly shortened in recent years. From an average of 2.5 minutes in 2004 to just 40 seconds recently, this shift underscores concerns about our capacity for sustained focus in an attention economy. Experts advocate for dedicating attention to meaningful personal projects and loved ones, alongside managing digital consumption.
