Hatred of boredom sparks excessive smartphone use  

People who hate being bored are more likely to spend hours on their smartphones and may feel more miserable, new research suggests.

The University of Essex study found a strong dislike of boredom forces people to reach for their phones, spend more time on them, and impacts how intensely they experience boredom.

Researchers analysed data from more than 750 participants across two studies, combining responses with real screen time tracking.

They found that people who reported a stronger aversion to boredom not only used their smartphones more but were also more likely to show signs of excessive or problematic use.

Crucially, the research published in Motivation and Emotion, suggests it is not just boredom itself driving behaviour, but how people feel about being bored.

'Digital distraction'

Dr Wijnand van Tilburg, from the Department of Psychology, said: “We all know people who seem to be glued to their phones, and we’ve all been tempted to reach for our phones when boredom strikes.

“Our research suggests that people who dislike boredom most may be especially likely to fall into that habit and scroll for longer.

“That matters because momentary boredom is not always something to be avoided. It can encourage reflection and curiosity.

“If we automatically turn to our phones the moment boredom appears, we may be reinforcing a cycle where we become less able to tolerate those quiet moments and more dependent on digital distraction.”

Participants who said they “hate being bored” experienced the emotion more often and more intensely than others. They were also more likely to turn to their phones as a way of avoiding it.

Immediate distraction

In one study, people who disliked boredom more strongly reported significantly higher levels of excessive smartphone use.

In another, which tracked behaviour over time, participants spent longer on their phones during periods when their dislike of boredom was higher than usual.

The findings point to a cycle where people try to escape boredom through their phones, only to reinforce the habit.

Researchers say smartphones offer an easy and immediate distraction, making them a go-to coping strategy when attention starts to drift.

But this may come at a cost, as the authors say the findings highlight the importance of how people think about their emotions.

'Cultivate healthier relationships'

Boredom is often seen as something negative to eliminate, but it can also play a useful role by signalling a need for change, curiosity or finding more rewarding activities.

By learning to tolerate boredom, rather than immediately escaping it, people may be able to reduce their reliance on smartphones and develop healthier coping strategies.

The researchers say targeting “boredom beliefs” could offer a new way to tackle excessive screen time.

Dr Van Tilburg said: “Our findings help us understand better the causes of excessive smartphone use, and how to cultivate healthier relationships with our electronic devices.”