Scrolling to Nowhere

I’m bored.

I don’t mean I’m bored this instant, but in general my life is duller than I’d like it to be. Perhaps it’s the stage of life I’m in—middle-aged, preoccupied teens at home, career on cruise-control. Or perhaps it’s my temperament: my mind races to complete tasks and hates being idle. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s the way I entertain myself.

I, like everyone else, watch lots of TV, movies, and short videos on my various screens. I consume far more video content today than twenty, thirty, forty years ago. And I was a child of the 80s, when the boob tube was my babysitter and friend. Just this summer alone, I binge-watched TV shows like Vikings, House of Dragons, Shogun, Welcome to Wrexham, Shoresy, and Cobra Kai, to name a few. And if you’re judging my taste, you can shove it—at least I’m not pretending to be sophisticated.

Given all the quality content out there, you’d think I would be less bored than ever. But you’d be wrong: boredom is on the rise. And boredom isn’t merely unplea…