Sorry to be a “provocateur” here, but while this essay is not petty, and continues a focus on an important theme (mysteries of modern society), perhaps “the ‘lad’ doth protest too much, methinks”. I would add it to life’s many unanswered questions, most of which we are not entitled to be answered. We, mere mortals, are expected to live, experience, and be enthralled with its mysteries. And in the random distribution of privilege and health, an essay on the boredom of never leaving home perhaps looks past the growing numbers of those who have no home, no family, questionable health, and wander continuously in and out of our world. The semi-hidden, mostly ignored souls, who still have dreams, goals, and energy to live life as best they can. To reminisce on memories of “different times” is sweet and sincere. We all do that. But there is really nothing MAGA about the past, present, or future. It is what it is/was/will be. Even though I am now among the “elderly “ by definition, there is an internal alarm that goes off if and when I start to lament about the past (other than wishes for more energy and less confusion). And I do try to be present in my appreciation for the wonder that each day can bring ( again, sorry to drone in a common theme). So as not be preachy here, it would be my wish for each generation ( or better yet , individual) to be more curious than sensitive about life, and live our own meaning, nestled at the heart of the mystery. Or maybe not. I don’t care if you walk on my lawn…
Kevin, always appreciate your insight, and it's interesting that my meaning is often being interpreted so differently from what I meant and intended. I remember our little debate about the "controlling and owning" a few weeks back. In this post, I think again what I was driving at may have gotten misconstrued, as you're saying exactly what I was trying to say...that the mysteries ARE so important, that we should be enthralled by them, that we should celebrate them, and my worry is, if the kids have access to everything instantly, that mystery begins to fade with the boredom. Nothing I was saying has anything to do with those who have no home, no family, or questionable health, and I don't see the essay I wrote being about the random distribution of privilege. It was about how I am watching, in very real time, people all over actively choosing a virtual world in which they experience it alone, OVER everything else. And I think sometimes, a lament about the past when the present is so clearly going in a scary direction, is not only important, but unavoidable. All of the numbers show that we're dealing with a mental health crisis we've never before faced, especially with our young people, so without looking back for clues, we cannot look Forward with answers. Your final statement again touches on what was the true meaning of my whole essay, and also what I was wanting, for kids to be more intimately connected with the great amazing mysterious beautiful world around them, and those beautiful souls they share it with, not just the bells and whistles of the latest device in their hand.
It is almost unfair how these kids don’t have to wait for their song to come on the radio to hear it or wait a week (or even an entire summer!) to see the next episode of the show they like. Do I also like these “modern conveniences”? Sure. But I agree that things have changed.
I graduated from high school in 1984. I did not go to proms or games because I was not in any 'in' crowd and it was socially painful for me even to attend high school, let alone any other associated activities. My kids were born in 85 and 91, and neither of them attended school activities after middle school because they both developed severe symptoms of co-occurring brain disorders which took over their social lives. Neither of them, now, spend a lot of time in artificial worlds (internet, VR etc) and they are both, in their 30s, rebuilding lives that will sustain them. My dad grew up in Westby MT in the 40s and 50s (a graduating class of EIGHT). As a kid, I went to town fairs with my family in Westby, absolutely everyone knew each other, and the activities were things like greased pole climbing contests and burlap sack races. Big fun was had by all. We have gone through so much change in a short amount of time. I think we need to keep investing our time and energy into "the commons" for young people, so they have options of connecting IRL. A provocative post today, thank you!
Ahh this is such insight, and I appreciate it so much. The ability to see how others live, how they found their way, is HUGE to understanding this collective experience, so this is invaluable. I so agree, we need to keep investing in the commons, the basics, and give kids a chance to see they are so very not alone.
Boredom breeds creativity. And in todays world I think it's a luxury of sorts. I can't help but wonder if kids these days are obsessed with technology because they feel behind their peers if they don't stay on top of the latest tech. The world is changing with a greater pace than we have seen. I have big complicated feels about all of this. The hopeful optimist in me hopes in the future this tech obsession will bring more inclusion for people with different abilities. Sight to the blind, exoskeletons for the paralyzed ect. That capitalism will become more optimized and give way to a world of more creativity and art and togetherness. Only time will tell.
You nailed my exact thoughts with your opening line. Boredom breeds creativity, and I honestly can speak to that. Addie used to create SO MUCH art, so much art, she'd spend hours, and since the phone came, all that's gone. I cannot remember the last time she did. Here's to optimism despite all the reasons against it. I think we'll be ok eventually.
OMG YES! When I became a stepparent to my 3, I was genuinely concerned about them because they never went out. Now that I’ve gotten over that and learned that social interactions in their generation are online as opposed to IRL, my big concern is that they don’t know how to do nothing. If the internet goes down, they are genuinely distressed. They can’t just sit and stare out a window or lose themselves in daydreams. And that makes me so sad. Worried, and so so sad.
Totally agree, we're learning as we go too, trusting them (even when sad) to do what they think is best. Problem is, we see the distress too, so clearly, and it makes us so heavy and worried.
Things have changed, I see it so often and even my own son was guilty of being glued to his phone before he started working full time, college full time, and a girlfriend mixed in too. However, as I listened to this on Sunday morning, I was about 40 hours in of a 48 hour trail race. There were 350 runners, plus their families or friends there. At least 20 runners were under the age of 16 and as young as 7. The "tent camp" was full of the families and friends. The playground of the farm was full of the younger kids. I never saw anyone bored or killing time on their phones. The trail/ultra running community is such a great experience.
But, listening to this out loud with all the people on the trail around me, I felt proud that this community of very different human beings were not bored, no one needed TVs or phones or anything to ward off any boredom. It was just miles and miles of dirt roads, campfires, food, music and fun with random people from all over the country. 20,844 miles where covered over the weekend on the farm by just the registered runners and I never heard anyone say they were bored...
I may have mentioned here before that my day job title is “Tech Exploration Instructor” at a center for adults with IDD. Our “members” can opt to spend about an hour a day with me learning about email communication, photography, GarageBand, keyboarding skills, weather, maps and travel, clocks (alarms, timers etc.), data tracking, slideshow production - as well as “exploring” technology in our community around us. (Who hasn’t had to order food off of a kiosk yet?!)…they also, after they complete their work have the opportunity to watch YouTube, do online word searches/crosswords, jigsaw puzzle apps, typing games, escape rooms online etc…
Well - having a week visiting the beautiful state of Montana and having very little cell signal in the valleys - I read 2 1/2 books, played board/dice/card games every night, sat in a hot tub outside while it snowed, hiked trails, made friends with a mountain squirrel named “Baby”, picked wild sage, took TONS of photos, played in and around the Missouri, Sun, & Blackfoot Rivers (found amazing river rock souvenirs - lesson learned - they will get your checked bag close to that 50 lb. limit!), scouted wildlife (saw antelope, bison, bald eagles, ducks, geese, highland cows <not wild>, horses <also not wild>, mule deer), and had conversations with amazing humans I met along the way. Imagine if my face were buried in my phone or iPad the whole time.
I won’t philosophize about my opinions - other than to say…while walking along rivers edge - I thought “Tech Exploration will be looking at ‘Tech Unplugged’ days very soon.” Our members need to know that there are ways to occupy time that aren’t using tech…and we can have real life conversations and experience real life people and experiences in the world around us.
That being said - thank goodness for the technology that provides the means to communicate with Tyler and all of you.
I am a better man because of Tyler Knott Gregson and others on Substack who encourage me all the time.
I'll start by saying I had to look up Apple Vision Pro and wow...it looks slightly cool, but also weirdly terrifying. I am a person who enjoys technology, but not all new tech seems appealing to me. There are certain advances that seem important for us or better for the planet, and then there are those that seem like they are turning us into disconnected robots. I am currently not thrilled about the idea of "virtual reality" or anything that takes us out of the world we live in. I am still so fascinated by the simple magic of nature, of being grounded in my physical surroundings. I do spend time on my technology like anyone else, but it also bothers me if I spend too much time on it or do so without intention. Like you, I miss the days of "less connection" because you had to go out into the world and do things and find things and seek out people and places. Which actually allowed us to find MORE connection. And sometimes you didn't know where you'd end up. And that was the whole freaking beauty of it all. I think boredom is a gift. It's like light and dark - boredom must be equally balanced with creativity and action. Neither can exist without the other.
Sorry to be a “provocateur” here, but while this essay is not petty, and continues a focus on an important theme (mysteries of modern society), perhaps “the ‘lad’ doth protest too much, methinks”. I would add it to life’s many unanswered questions, most of which we are not entitled to be answered. We, mere mortals, are expected to live, experience, and be enthralled with its mysteries. And in the random distribution of privilege and health, an essay on the boredom of never leaving home perhaps looks past the growing numbers of those who have no home, no family, questionable health, and wander continuously in and out of our world. The semi-hidden, mostly ignored souls, who still have dreams, goals, and energy to live life as best they can. To reminisce on memories of “different times” is sweet and sincere. We all do that. But there is really nothing MAGA about the past, present, or future. It is what it is/was/will be. Even though I am now among the “elderly “ by definition, there is an internal alarm that goes off if and when I start to lament about the past (other than wishes for more energy and less confusion). And I do try to be present in my appreciation for the wonder that each day can bring ( again, sorry to drone in a common theme). So as not be preachy here, it would be my wish for each generation ( or better yet , individual) to be more curious than sensitive about life, and live our own meaning, nestled at the heart of the mystery. Or maybe not. I don’t care if you walk on my lawn…
Kevin, always appreciate your insight, and it's interesting that my meaning is often being interpreted so differently from what I meant and intended. I remember our little debate about the "controlling and owning" a few weeks back. In this post, I think again what I was driving at may have gotten misconstrued, as you're saying exactly what I was trying to say...that the mysteries ARE so important, that we should be enthralled by them, that we should celebrate them, and my worry is, if the kids have access to everything instantly, that mystery begins to fade with the boredom. Nothing I was saying has anything to do with those who have no home, no family, or questionable health, and I don't see the essay I wrote being about the random distribution of privilege. It was about how I am watching, in very real time, people all over actively choosing a virtual world in which they experience it alone, OVER everything else. And I think sometimes, a lament about the past when the present is so clearly going in a scary direction, is not only important, but unavoidable. All of the numbers show that we're dealing with a mental health crisis we've never before faced, especially with our young people, so without looking back for clues, we cannot look Forward with answers. Your final statement again touches on what was the true meaning of my whole essay, and also what I was wanting, for kids to be more intimately connected with the great amazing mysterious beautiful world around them, and those beautiful souls they share it with, not just the bells and whistles of the latest device in their hand.
It is almost unfair how these kids don’t have to wait for their song to come on the radio to hear it or wait a week (or even an entire summer!) to see the next episode of the show they like. Do I also like these “modern conveniences”? Sure. But I agree that things have changed.
Hahah, I remember sitting by the radio for HOURS with my fingers hovered around the Record button on the tape deck, HOPING they'd play my song. Wow.
I graduated from high school in 1984. I did not go to proms or games because I was not in any 'in' crowd and it was socially painful for me even to attend high school, let alone any other associated activities. My kids were born in 85 and 91, and neither of them attended school activities after middle school because they both developed severe symptoms of co-occurring brain disorders which took over their social lives. Neither of them, now, spend a lot of time in artificial worlds (internet, VR etc) and they are both, in their 30s, rebuilding lives that will sustain them. My dad grew up in Westby MT in the 40s and 50s (a graduating class of EIGHT). As a kid, I went to town fairs with my family in Westby, absolutely everyone knew each other, and the activities were things like greased pole climbing contests and burlap sack races. Big fun was had by all. We have gone through so much change in a short amount of time. I think we need to keep investing our time and energy into "the commons" for young people, so they have options of connecting IRL. A provocative post today, thank you!
Ahh this is such insight, and I appreciate it so much. The ability to see how others live, how they found their way, is HUGE to understanding this collective experience, so this is invaluable. I so agree, we need to keep investing in the commons, the basics, and give kids a chance to see they are so very not alone.
Boredom breeds creativity. And in todays world I think it's a luxury of sorts. I can't help but wonder if kids these days are obsessed with technology because they feel behind their peers if they don't stay on top of the latest tech. The world is changing with a greater pace than we have seen. I have big complicated feels about all of this. The hopeful optimist in me hopes in the future this tech obsession will bring more inclusion for people with different abilities. Sight to the blind, exoskeletons for the paralyzed ect. That capitalism will become more optimized and give way to a world of more creativity and art and togetherness. Only time will tell.
You nailed my exact thoughts with your opening line. Boredom breeds creativity, and I honestly can speak to that. Addie used to create SO MUCH art, so much art, she'd spend hours, and since the phone came, all that's gone. I cannot remember the last time she did. Here's to optimism despite all the reasons against it. I think we'll be ok eventually.
OMG YES! When I became a stepparent to my 3, I was genuinely concerned about them because they never went out. Now that I’ve gotten over that and learned that social interactions in their generation are online as opposed to IRL, my big concern is that they don’t know how to do nothing. If the internet goes down, they are genuinely distressed. They can’t just sit and stare out a window or lose themselves in daydreams. And that makes me so sad. Worried, and so so sad.
Totally agree, we're learning as we go too, trusting them (even when sad) to do what they think is best. Problem is, we see the distress too, so clearly, and it makes us so heavy and worried.
Things have changed, I see it so often and even my own son was guilty of being glued to his phone before he started working full time, college full time, and a girlfriend mixed in too. However, as I listened to this on Sunday morning, I was about 40 hours in of a 48 hour trail race. There were 350 runners, plus their families or friends there. At least 20 runners were under the age of 16 and as young as 7. The "tent camp" was full of the families and friends. The playground of the farm was full of the younger kids. I never saw anyone bored or killing time on their phones. The trail/ultra running community is such a great experience.
But, listening to this out loud with all the people on the trail around me, I felt proud that this community of very different human beings were not bored, no one needed TVs or phones or anything to ward off any boredom. It was just miles and miles of dirt roads, campfires, food, music and fun with random people from all over the country. 20,844 miles where covered over the weekend on the farm by just the registered runners and I never heard anyone say they were bored...
I may have mentioned here before that my day job title is “Tech Exploration Instructor” at a center for adults with IDD. Our “members” can opt to spend about an hour a day with me learning about email communication, photography, GarageBand, keyboarding skills, weather, maps and travel, clocks (alarms, timers etc.), data tracking, slideshow production - as well as “exploring” technology in our community around us. (Who hasn’t had to order food off of a kiosk yet?!)…they also, after they complete their work have the opportunity to watch YouTube, do online word searches/crosswords, jigsaw puzzle apps, typing games, escape rooms online etc…
Well - having a week visiting the beautiful state of Montana and having very little cell signal in the valleys - I read 2 1/2 books, played board/dice/card games every night, sat in a hot tub outside while it snowed, hiked trails, made friends with a mountain squirrel named “Baby”, picked wild sage, took TONS of photos, played in and around the Missouri, Sun, & Blackfoot Rivers (found amazing river rock souvenirs - lesson learned - they will get your checked bag close to that 50 lb. limit!), scouted wildlife (saw antelope, bison, bald eagles, ducks, geese, highland cows <not wild>, horses <also not wild>, mule deer), and had conversations with amazing humans I met along the way. Imagine if my face were buried in my phone or iPad the whole time.
I won’t philosophize about my opinions - other than to say…while walking along rivers edge - I thought “Tech Exploration will be looking at ‘Tech Unplugged’ days very soon.” Our members need to know that there are ways to occupy time that aren’t using tech…and we can have real life conversations and experience real life people and experiences in the world around us.
That being said - thank goodness for the technology that provides the means to communicate with Tyler and all of you.
I am a better man because of Tyler Knott Gregson and others on Substack who encourage me all the time.
Psst. I'm a better man because of YOU. Know this my friend.
I'll start by saying I had to look up Apple Vision Pro and wow...it looks slightly cool, but also weirdly terrifying. I am a person who enjoys technology, but not all new tech seems appealing to me. There are certain advances that seem important for us or better for the planet, and then there are those that seem like they are turning us into disconnected robots. I am currently not thrilled about the idea of "virtual reality" or anything that takes us out of the world we live in. I am still so fascinated by the simple magic of nature, of being grounded in my physical surroundings. I do spend time on my technology like anyone else, but it also bothers me if I spend too much time on it or do so without intention. Like you, I miss the days of "less connection" because you had to go out into the world and do things and find things and seek out people and places. Which actually allowed us to find MORE connection. And sometimes you didn't know where you'd end up. And that was the whole freaking beauty of it all. I think boredom is a gift. It's like light and dark - boredom must be equally balanced with creativity and action. Neither can exist without the other.
I weirdly LOVE that you had to google the Apple Vision Pro. That means you're far enough removed and I'm so happy for that!