The first thing many of us do when boredom shows up is reach for the phone. We scroll through videos, check social media, read a few headlines, answer messages, and somehow end up twenty or thirty minutes later wondering what we actually did with the time.
Apparently, plenty of people are noticing the same thing. A September 2026 Pew Research Center survey on smartphone use found that just over half of American adults believe they spend too much time on their phones. About 45% said they had tried to reduce their smartphone use during the previous year.
The interesting part is that scrolling may not be curing boredom as much as feeding the cycle. A 2026 meta-analysis of boredom and problematic technology use reviewed 25 studies involving more than 15,000 participants and found a moderate association between boredom proneness and problematic digital technology use.
I can relate to the urge to immediately fill empty time. In the past, whenever I gained extra time or energy, I often found another project, another idea, or something else to do. Eventually, I started questioning why every open space needed to be filled.
Maybe boredom occasionally needs to remain boredom for a little while.
Recent research on leisure activities and health found positive associations between leisure participation and self-reported mental and physical health, including activities involving movement, social interaction, learning, and mindfulness.
Instead of opening another app the next time you are bored, try keeping a few offline options nearby: a book, notebook, puzzle, sketchpad, cards, walking shoes or an unfinished hobby. The growing “analog” movement has even inspired people to create bags filled with screen-free activities for moments when they would normally reach for a phone.
Sometimes finding something to do when you are bored may begin with putting down the thing that keeps insisting you should never be bored at all.
Nicholl McGuire is an author, researcher, blogger, and longtime content creator who writes about everyday life, work, relationships, technology, and practical ways to make better use of our time.
