Boredom Might Be Our Best Defence Against Screen Time

For many parents, hearing "I'm bored" feels like a problem to be solved. The instinct is often to hand over a tablet, suggest an activity or find some way to stop the whining. But experts say boredom isn't something to avoid. In fact, it leads to important developmental milestones.

Boredom and kids is a popular topic. As painful as it can feel for both kids and parents, we know it’s good for them. And some new studies prove it. Research shows that boredom plays an important role in helping kids develop creativity, resilience, and emotional regulation. Excessive screen use is considered a growing public health concern that can disrupt sleep, mental health and performance in school. Rather than rushing to fix boredom, parents may want to see it as an opportunity.

Jennifer Kolari, a child and family therapist and founder of Connected Parenting, says our culture has started treating boredom as something negative when it's actually an essential part of growing up.

"Parents look at boredom as a problem to fix," she says. "They're not allowing their child to develop the ways the brain learns to handle lower stimulation."

What new boredom studies show

A 2024 study published in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology found that boredom can be measured even in children as young as four years old and is closely linked to self-regulation. Rather than remaining passive, many children responded to boredom by creating their own activities or seeking social interaction, suggesting that boredom helps children practise the skills needed to manage themselves independently.

A separate 2025 study published in Frontiers in Psychiatry found that boredom, difficulty tolerating delays and inattention are closely connected, suggesting that teaching children emotional regulation and helping them learn to tolerate waiting may improve how they cope with boredom over time.

How screens affect the brain

Kolari says this process is closely connected to how the brain works. "Our brains are designed on a continuum between pain and pleasure," she explains. "If children are constantly experiencing high levels of pleasure and stimulation, especially from screens, it can interfere with healthy growth and development."

Digital devices provide quick bursts of dopamine, the neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward. While dopamine itself isn't harmful, repeated high levels of stimulation can make everyday activities feel less interesting by comparison. That's one reason children who spend long periods on screens may struggle to enjoy quieter activities like reading, drawing or imaginative play.

Instead, moments of boredom give the brain an opportunity to reset.

How boredom affects the brain

"When children aren't being told exactly what to do, they begin finding things to do themselves," says Kolari. "That's how they learn to regulate. They're building the ability to keep themselves busy." Over time, that independence helps develop far more than creativity. Learning to tolerate boredom also strengthens: 

• Patience
• Problem-solving
• Delayed gratification
• Self-esteem, because children discover they are capable of creating their own fun rather than relying on someone else to provide it

Researchers behind the Frontiers in Psychiatry study say these kinds of emotional regulation skills may be especially important for children who struggle with attention or find waiting particularly difficult.

How screens affect family dynamics

Kolari says that excessive screen use can also affect relationships within families. She says children aren't the only ones spending more time looking at devices.

"Parents being stuck on their phones has attachment implications," she says. "Children can start feeling like they're competing with technology, and that creates breaks in the connection."

Young children learn emotional regulation through responsive relationships with caregivers. When those interactions are frequently interrupted by phones or other devices, opportunities for connection can become less consistent.

So what should parents do when their child inevitably says, "I'm bored"?

Kolari recommends resisting the urge to immediately solve the problem.

For younger children, she suggests creating a simple list of screen-free activities and posting it somewhere visible, like on the refrigerator. Ideas might include: 

• Building with blocks
• Colouring
• Reading
• Going outside
• Creating an obstacle course
• Helping with simple household tasks

Then comes the hardest part: giving children time. "Leave them for about 15 minutes," she says. "Let them choose something from the list themselves."

Those few minutes of discomfort are where important learning happens. Children begin making decisions independently, discovering new interests and realizing they can cope with moments of lower stimulation without immediately reaching for a screen.

Rather than viewing boredom as empty time, Kolari encourages parents to think of it as the beginning of self-discovery.

Healthy boredom is temporary. It challenges children to use their imagination, trust themselves and build the internal skills they'll rely on throughout life. In a world filled with constant notifications and endless entertainment, allowing children the space to be bored may be one of the simplest and most valuable gifts parents can give.