That Boring Internet

Recent research indicates Generation Z is getting bored with the Internet. That’s right.  Those born between 1998 and 2010, who sometimes seem glued to their smart phones, aren’t really that interested in what they are reading or seeing.

It’s hard for me to fathom. When I was a kid we had two good channels on TV, one fuzzy one, all of which went off the air around midnight.  How could anyone be bored with a device that can give them access to anything, anywhere?

But it’s true.

And why does this emerging generation stare at a screen on their device when they are bored?

For the same reason my generation sits in front of a TV and watches an old show that is so familiar to them they can quote most of the lines before they are spoken. Just because we are bored doesn’t mean we are going to go looking for something better.  In fact, it seems we are content to be “bored out of our gourd” as they say.

This raises an interesting question: “Which do we crave more? Adventure or boredom?”

I feel sure our personality will impact how we answer. Life experience matters too.  For example, if we have been through a tumultuous season in our lives we might enjoy watching a television show we have seen a hundred times before.  We might even fall asleep during the best parts and be perfectly happy to wake up just in time to see the happy ending.  On the other hand, if we have been trapped by our circumstances, we might engage in risky behavior just to prove to ourselves we are still alive.

I don’t wish to tell anyone how to spend their spare time, as long as they aren’t involved in anything ungodly or illegal. One person’s boredom is another person’s form of relaxation.

However, I do propose we will never be able to fill the emptiness that remains if we only live for “the next new thing”.

The next trip.

The next season.

The next toy.

The next experience.

The next investment.

So, is it possible to escape boredom? Yes, but only if we live for something eternally productive.  My suggestion: live for Christ and serve others in His name.

Our relationship with Christ will bring us daily joy as we learn from Him and the Holy Spirit brings about transformation in our lives. Serving others will provide an outlet for joy and bless us as we watch God’s plan unfold.

The good news is, anyone can live for Christ and serve in His name.

People with and without technology.

Young people.

Old people.

Working people.

Retired people.

Poor people.

Rich people.

Or, the same people can wait for the next boring day.

While they wait on the next activity.

Or the next purchase.

Maybe the next “big thing.”

You see, when we stop living for something eternal, life is only as exciting as the events we have already put on our calendar.

Events on calendars are fine. But sooner or later we come to the last entry.

And what then?