The Benefits of Boredom

04/13/2004

"Our lives improve only when we take chances - and the first and most difficult risk we can take is to be honest with ourselves." - Walter Anderson

THE BENEFITS OF BOREDOM

In the January 22, 2004 issue of the Boston Globe, Barbara F. Meltz, makes a case for boredom in the early years:

"Beginning in infancy, children are bombarded with noise, stimulation, and instant gratification, from crib mobiles with flashing lights and music to DVD entertainment systems for the car. Quiet time? It's virtually programmed into children never to have it.

"Certainly, there are advantages to children from modern technology. Increasingly, though, educators are wondering if it comes at a cost.

"'The gadgetry may distract a baby from crying, but does he ever discover his toes?' wonders Wheelock College early-childhood educator Diane Levin. She means that on two levels. Literally, the fussy baby who is left alone long enough to find his toes (not more than a few minutes, after all) is making the first step in a long journey. 'He's figuring out that he can entertain and distract himself,' Levin says. 'He's also learning something profound: that he has the capacity to solve his own problem.'

"In terms of human development, that's an 'Aha!' moment. The infant whose parent pushes the button to turn on the mobile may also be comforted and distracted, but he learns nothing about his capacity to solve his own problem, says Levin.

"This may seem like too much credit to give to 10 toes, but for Levin and others, toes are a metaphor for what they see as an erosion in opportunities for children to develop critical-thinking skills. 'It's been happening ever since children started watching more TV, about 20 years ago,' says Levin. 'As the process for interacting with the world becomes more passive, children are robbed of the process of being an active agent in their own lives.'"

To read the entire Boston Globe article, go to:
http://www.boston.com/yourlife/family/articles/2004/01/22/there_are_benefits_to_boredom/

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