Does Using Smartphones to Curb Boredom also Cause Bored Feelings?

by Holly Shoemaker

With so many surveys coming out on smartphone use, I have concluded that many of us spend too much time depending on our smartphones. In general, most of us would not function well in a society without these devices – for social and work purposes.

A recent survey from the Pew Internet and American Life project shows that 45 percent of adults own a smartphone and that one-third of young adults with a higher income do. I would expect the number of smartphone owners to continue to grow as pre-paid options and certain plans from carriers make owning a smartphone more affordable for a variety of income levels.

Now, 42 percent of mobile phone users say they rely on their smartphones to entertain them when bored. As I mentioned last week, people get anxious and experience feelings associated with loss when they think they misplaced their smartphones. Now imagine feeling anxious or sick and bored at the same time.

Concluding Thoughts

It makes sense that we experience these feelings, but it also shows that dependency occurs. I am guilty of looking at my smartphone to sometimes cure boredom, but I do not have a fascination with game apps, so I have one less item to worry about. Plus, because I rely on mine for work purposes, I do not want to also rely on it to always entertain me – that gets boring fast.