Brooks Says Constant Phone Use Fuels Depression by Eliminating Boredom

Harvard Business Review

Constantly evading downtime with smartphones silences the brain's default mode network, cutting off the existential reflection required to establish purpose and ward off depression.

AI-assisted summary of You Need to Be Bored. Here's Why. — original source. Check the original for full context.

Source published: 2025-08-26

Key ideas

Boredom is a critical psychological necessity that automatically triggers the brain's default mode network (DMN) when external cognitive demands cease. (0:00)
In a Harvard study led by Dan Gilbert, a large majority of participants preferred self-administering painful electric shocks over sitting quietly with their own thoughts for 15 minutes. (0:00)
Constantly reaching for smartphones during brief lulls creates a doom loop that suppresses existential reflection, fueling modern surges in anxiety, depression, and loss of purpose. (1:46)
Arthur Brooks advocates building a 'boredom muscle' via 15-minute unplugged sessions and strict digital hygiene, including an evening screen curfew and phone-free family meals. (3:40)

Detailed notes

## Background Published by Harvard Business Review on YouTube on August 26, 2025, this video features Harvard professor Arthur C. Brooks examining why boredom is essential rather than detrimental. Drawing from insights explored in his work and writings, Brooks explains how downtime activates the brain's default mode network, fuels creativity, and protects individuals from anxiety and depression.

## TL;DR Arthur Brooks argues that boredom is a psychological necessity that activates the brain's default mode network, enabling people to process existential questions and find personal meaning. Modern habits of constantly reaching for smartphones suppress this network, creating a self-reinforcing loop of hollow distraction, anxiety, and depression. To break this pattern, Brooks urges viewers to actively train their tolerance for stillness through silent commutes and screen-free workouts. He details four personal digital hygiene rules—including phone-free evenings and dinners—to overcome dopamine-driven impulses and reclaim deep life purpose.

## Atmosphere & style The presentation carries the warmth, clarity, and authority of a captivating masterclass delivered by an approachable academic. Brooks balances hard psychological and neurological research with candid personal vulnerability, openly admitting his own dopamine cravings and screen-withdrawal discomfort. The pacing shifts smoothly from an analytical diagnosis of modern distraction to an empathetic, impassioned plea for intentional presence, leaving the viewer feeling gently challenged rather than judged.

## Bulletin - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=0s) Boredom is a critical psychological necessity that automatically triggers the brain's default mode network (DMN) when external cognitive demands cease. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=0s) In a Harvard study led by Dan Gilbert, a large majority of participants preferred self-administering painful electric shocks over sitting quietly with their own thoughts for 15 minutes. - [01:46](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=106s) Constantly reaching for smartphones during brief lulls creates a doom loop that suppresses existential reflection, fueling modern surges in anxiety, depression, and loss of purpose. - [03:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=220s) Arthur Brooks advocates building a 'boredom muscle' via 15-minute unplugged sessions and strict digital hygiene, including an evening screen curfew and phone-free family meals.

## Key takeaways - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=0s) Being bored is an essential psychological need rather than a flaw to be eliminated. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=0s) When external cognitive demands stop, the brain shifts to the default mode network (DMN). - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=0s) People instinctively resist boredom because the default mode network forces them to confront difficult existential questions like 'What does my life mean?' - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=0s) Research by Dan Gilbert shows that most people would rather endure physical electric shocks than spend 15 minutes alone with their unguided thoughts. - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=0s) Widespread avoidance of existential contemplation directly contributes to rising rates of anxiety, depression, and hollowness. - [01:46](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=106s) Smartphones act as an omnipresent escape hatch that silences the default mode network even during brief moments of downtime. - [01:46](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=106s) Dodging uncomfortable questions by reaching for screens reinforces a doom loop that makes it harder to discover genuine life purpose. - [01:46](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=106s) Boredom can be trained as a muscle through everyday unplugged routines, such as exercising without headphones or commuting in silence. - [01:46](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=106s) Tolerating periods of silence for 15 minutes or longer recalibrates baseline stimulation, making ordinary work and personal relationships feel less dull. - [01:46](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=106s) Allowing the mind to wander provides the mental space necessary to process core pillars of human fulfillment: purpose, meaning, coherence, and significance. - [03:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=220s) Initial screen fasts trigger noticeable neurochemical dopamine withdrawal, which Brooks likens to children screaming in one's head. - [03:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=220s) Enforcing a strict device cutoff at 7:00 p.m. and banning phones from the bedroom restores mental equilibrium. - [03:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=220s) Eliminating screens from the dining table protects relational presence for the people physically present. - [03:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=220s) Configuring emergency bypass settings allows urgent calls to come through while filtering out non-essential news and social media noise.

## Detailed walkthrough ### [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=0s) The Default Mode Network and Why We Fear Boredom

Arthur Brooks opens with an unequivocal declaration: being bored is an absolute psychological necessity. When people are never bored, they inevitably suffer a loss of meaning and face heightened risks of depression. From a neurological standpoint, boredom occurs when the brain is free from external cognitive occupation, prompting it to transition to an internal system known as the default mode network (DMN). Far from being merely fancy academic jargon, the default mode network comprises interconnected brain structures that automatically switch on the moment an individual has nothing immediate to focus on—such as getting stuck waiting at a traffic light without a mobile phone.

Yet human beings instinctively resist this state. Brooks points to research conducted by his Harvard psychology colleague, Dan Gilbert, in which participants were instructed to sit alone in an empty room for 15 minutes with zero distractions. The only object available was a button that, if pressed, delivered a painful electric shock. Given the choice between enduring boredom with their own thoughts or experiencing physical pain, the outcome was striking: “A big majority of the participants gave themselves shocks instead of thinking about nothing.” People detest boredom because the default mode network steers attention toward deeply uncomfortable existential terrain. When the mind wanders, it naturally confronts sweeping, unresolved dilemmas such as “What does my life mean?” While facing these existential questions can feel unsettling, Brooks argues that doing so is essential for long-term psychological well-being. Today’s societal surge in anxiety and depression is intimately tied to people lacking a coherent sense of life purpose—a search previous generations engaged in, but which contemporary society has largely abandoned.

- The default mode network (DMN) activates automatically during periods of cognitive downtime when no external task demands attention. - In Dan Gilbert’s Harvard study, participants preferred self-administering painful electric shocks over sitting quietly with their thoughts for 15 minutes. - Brooks links the modern epidemic of anxiety and depression to the widespread avoidance of existential contemplation and the loss of personal meaning.

[01:46](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=106s) The Doom Loop of Meaning and Building the Boredom Muscle

Modern technology has provided humanity with an unprecedented escape hatch from downtime, allowing people to virtually eliminate boredom and silence their default mode network altogether. The primary culprit is the smartphone. Even during trivial pauses, such as waiting fifteen seconds on a street corner for a pedestrian light to change, people instinctively pull out their screens to avoid the mild discomfort of unguided reflection. Brooks describes this compulsive habit as a self-reinforcing trap: “If every time you're slightly bored pull out your phone, it's going to get harder and harder for you to find meaning, and that's the recipe for depression and anxiety and a sense of hollowness, which, by the way, are all through the roof.” By continuously dodging the questions they cannot easily wrap their arms around, individuals forfeit their ability to discover purpose.

To counter this cycle, Brooks urges people to intentionally practice boredom as a deliberate skill. He challenges listeners to attempt basic everyday tasks completely unplugged: going to the gym without a phone or podcast, sitting alone with one's thoughts while exercising, or commuting in complete silence without turning on the radio. Enduring periods of boredom lasting 15 minutes or longer rewires one's perspective in two major ways. First, building tolerance for cognitive stillness makes everyday routines, jobs, and personal relationships feel markedly less dull. Second, it creates the mental space required to confront the core pillars of human fulfillment: purpose, meaning, coherence, and significance.

```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: The Doom Loop versus the Boredom Breakthrough accDescr: Flowchart illustrating how reaching for devices creates a doom loop of meaning while embracing boredom activates the default mode network to foster purpose.

subgraph DL["The Doom Loop of Meaning"] A["Momentary Downtime"] --> B["Reach for Smartphone"] B --> C["Default Mode Network Suppressed"] C --> D["Avoid Existential Reflection"] D --> E["Hollowness, Anxiety & Depression"] E --> A end

subgraph BB["The Boredom Breakthrough"] F["Tolerate Boredom (15+ Minutes)"] --> G["Default Mode Network Activates"] G --> H["Mind Wanders into Big Questions"] H --> I["Creative Ideas, Purpose & Meaning"] end ```

- Withdrawing from constant digital stimulation unlocks higher-level creative thinking during routine activities like working out. - Tolerating 15-minute intervals of silence recalibrates baseline stimulation, reducing boredom in ordinary workplace and relational settings. - Sustained mind-wandering directs cognitive resources toward the key dimensions of well-being: coherence, purpose, and significance.

[03:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=220s) Practicing What You Preach: Digital Hygiene Protocols and Dispelling Excuses

Anticipating skepticism, Brooks confirms that he adheres strictly to his own guidance, noting that he shares the exact same neurochemical vulnerabilities and addictive dopamine impulses as anyone else. When he embarks on screen fasts, he admits the initial withdrawal feels “like children screaming in my head” demanding the device. To maintain psychological balance, he relies on four concrete digital hygiene rules: 1. Enforcing a strict no-device policy after 7:00 p.m. 2. Keeping the phone completely out of the bedroom overnight. 3. Banning devices during family meals, explaining: “We're there for each other. We're not there for people who aren't there.” 4. Scheduling regular, extended cleanses from screens and social media to reset dopamine levels and remember that life does not need to revolve around technology.

Brooks dismantles the common objection that disconnecting risks missing urgent crises. Modern devices allow users to configure settings so that only one or two vital contacts can break through in genuine emergencies—a feature he humorously suggests asking your kids to set up if you cannot figure it out yourself. Beyond true emergencies, Brooks stresses that the vast majority of digital consumption is trivial: breaking political news and social media chatter do not require instant attention. Previous generations lived healthy, productive lives without tracking developments in Washington, D.C., second by second. Closing with an urgent appeal to both his own children and the audience, Brooks implores: “You need more meaning in your life. And so do I.”

- Establishing boundaries—such as an evening device curfew and phone-free dinner tables—protects interpersonal presence and mental calm. - Dopamine withdrawal symptoms during digital fasts are intense initially but dissipate as the nervous system re-regulates. - Emergency bypass filters allow crucial family calls to come through while filtering out the non-essential noise of news and social media.

## Notable quotes > [01:46](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=106s) If every time you're slightly bored pull out your phone, it's going to get harder and harder for you to find meaning, and that's the recipe for depression and anxiety and a sense of hollowness. — Arthur Brooks

## Mentioned Arthur C. Brooks, Dan Gilbert, Harvard University, Harvard Business Review, The Happiness Files, The Leader’s Happiness Reset, The Atlantic

## Video description Boredom isn’t a bug—it’s a feature. Harvard professor Arthur C. Brooks explains why boredom unlocks creativity, activates a powerful brain network, and might even protect you from depression. Learn how the mind wanders—and why that’s a very good thing.

For more insights on leadership, success, and workplace well-being, explore Arthur's new book, "The Happiness Files", a curated selection of essays from his popular column in The Atlantic: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F4MFQ6VN

You can also sign up to receive Arthur’s new six-week newsletter, “The Leader’s Happiness Reset.” It includes excerpts from his new book along with insights and guidance on how to find happiness at work, for yourself and for your team: https://hbr.org/email-newsletters.

More by Arthur Brooks: https://arthurbrooks.com/

Books, tools, and more: store.hbr.org

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[Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8)

中文简报

布鲁克斯称频繁使用手机消除无聊感，从而加剧抑郁情绪频繁用智能手机逃避空闲时间会抑制大脑的默认模式网络，阻断确立人生目标和抵御抑郁所需的存在主义反思。阿瑟·布鲁克斯（Arthur Brooks）指出，无聊是一种心理上的必需品，它能激活大脑的默认模式网络，使人们得以处理关于存在的议题并找到个人意义。现代人频繁看手机的习惯压制了该网络，从而形成空虚分心、焦虑和抑郁的恶性循环。为打破这一模式，布鲁克斯呼吁受众通过安静通勤和无屏幕锻炼，积极锻炼自己忍受沉静的能力。他详细介绍了四条个人数字健康规则，包括晚间和进餐时不看手机，以此克制多巴胺驱动的冲动，重拾深层的人生目标。无聊是一项至关重要的心理需求，当外部认知需求停止时，它会自动触发大脑的默认模式网络（DMN）。 (0:00) 在丹·吉尔伯特（Dan Gilbert）主持的一项哈佛大学研究中，绝大多数受试者宁可给自己施加痛苦的电击，也不愿安静地独处思考15分钟。 (0:00) 在短暂停歇时频繁拿起智能手机会形成恶性循环，抑制存在主义反思，进而推高现代人焦虑、抑郁和丧失目标的现象。 (1:46) 阿瑟·布鲁克斯倡导通过15分钟断网体验和严格的数字健康习惯来锻炼“耐受无聊的能力”，其中包括晚间屏幕宵禁以及家庭聚餐时不使用手机。 (3:40)

Reading summary

Arthur Brooks contends that experiencing boredom is a neurological necessity for cultivating personal meaning, warning that reflexively using smartphones suppresses the brain's default mode network and fuels anxiety, depression, and hollowness. The Default Mode Network and Fear of Reflection (0:00) Neurologically, periods devoid of external cognitive tasks automatically engage the default mode network (DMN). Brooks explains that human beings instinctively dread this state because an unguided mind naturally drifts toward uncomfortable existential dilemmas regarding life purpose and meaning. He points to a Harvard study led by Dan Gilbert, in which a large majority of participants chose to self-administer painful electric shocks rather than sit alone with their thoughts in an empty room for 15 minutes. Brooks argues that contemporary rises in anxiety and depression stem directly from avoiding such existential reflection. Breaking the Smartphone Doom Loop (1:46) Modern devices provide an instantaneous escape hatch from downtime, prompting individuals to consult screens during pauses as brief as waiting fifteen seconds at a pedestrian crossing. Brooks warns that this habitual reflex creates a self-reinforcing trap: constantly avoiding cognitive stillness suppresses the DMN and degrades one's capacity to identify meaning, fostering hollowness. To reverse this pattern, Brooks recommends deliberately exercising the "boredom muscle" by undergoing periods of silence lasting 15 minutes or longer, such as commuting or working out without phones, podcasts, or music. Sustained stillness recalibrates baseline stimulation—making routine professional tasks and personal relationships feel less dull—while unlocking the mental space needed to cultivate purpose, coherence, and significance. Digital Hygiene Protocols and Managing Pushback (3:40) Acknowledging that digital withdrawal provokes intense initial dopamine cravings, Brooks outlines four practical rules for managing device dependence: enforcing a strict no-device curfew after 7:00 p.m., keeping phones out of the bedroom overnight, barring screens from the family dinner table, and scheduling recurring digital cleanses. Brooks counters the objection that disconnecting leaves one vulnerable to emergencies, noting that smartphone settings can be configured to allow only vital contacts to bypass silent modes. He emphasizes that the vast majority of digital consumption, including breaking political news and social chatter, does not require real-time attention and distracts from interpersonal presence. Brooks concludes that tolerating the discomfort of boredom and digital withdrawal is an unavoidable prerequisite for mental well-being, asserting that both individuals and broader society must actively reclaim downtime to discover lasting personal meaning.

精炼阅读摘要

阿瑟·布鲁克斯（Arthur Brooks）认为，无聊是人类不可或缺的心理必需品；当人们依赖智能手机持续逃避无聊时，大脑的默认模式网络（DMN）便会受到抑制，进而剥夺个体建立人生意义感的机会，并推高焦虑与抑郁风险。默认模式网络与对存在主义思考的抗拒 (0:00) 布鲁克斯指出，从神经生物学角度看，当大脑脱离外部认知任务时，会自动激活由互联脑区组成的默认模式网络（Default Mode Network, DMN），例如在未携带手机等待红绿灯的间隙。然而，人类本能地抗拒这种无外部刺激的状态。哈佛大学心理学家丹·吉尔伯特（Dan Gilbert）的一项实验显示，当受试者被要求在没有任何干扰的房间内独处15分钟时，绝大多数参与者宁愿按下电击按钮对自己施加身体疼痛，也不愿在安静中面对自己的思绪。布鲁克斯分析，人们回避无聊的根本原因在于DMN会将思维引向令人不安的存在主义命题，例如“我的人生意愿与价值何在”。这种未受引导的心智游移虽然会引发心理不适，但直面这些大问题是获得长期心理健康的基石。布鲁克斯主张，当代社会焦虑与抑郁水平的激增，与人们丧失寻找生命连贯性目标的传统、普遍逃避深层自我审视直接相关。意义的死循环与刻意训练无聊耐受力 (1:46) 智能手机的普及为现代人提供了随时阻断DMN激活的工具。即使是路口等待行人绿灯的15秒空档，人们也会习惯性掏出屏幕以躲避反思带来的不适。布鲁克斯将这一行为模式描述为自我强化的“死循环”：频繁借助设备排解无聊，会逐步削弱个体直面存在主义问题的能力，导致空虚、焦虑与抑郁情绪蔓延，进而促使人们更依赖屏幕来麻痹自我。为了打破这一闭环，布鲁克斯呼吁将忍受无聊作为一种能力进行刻意训练。他建议在去健身房运动、通勤等日常活动中有意识地彻底脱离电子设备与播客，保持15分钟以上的绝对静默。根据布鲁克斯的观点，建立对无聊的耐受力一方面能重置基础刺激阈值，使普通的工作和人际交往不再显得索然无味；另一方面也能腾出认知带宽，激活高阶创造力，并让大脑专注于构建心理层面的四大支柱——目标、意义、连贯性与重要性。数字卫生法则与打破应急借口 (3:40) 面对行为改变的阻力，布鲁克斯坦承自己同样受到多巴胺渴望的困扰，并在数字断食初期会经历类似脑内尖叫般的强烈戒断感。为维持心理平衡，他制定了四项具操作性的数字卫生准则：一是晚间7点后全面停用电子设备；二是夜间严禁将手机带入卧室；三是家庭用餐期间禁止使用设备，以确保对在场家庭成员的专注投入；四是定期安排长周期的屏幕与社交媒体断食，以重置多巴胺受体水平。针对“断联会导致错过紧急突发事件”的疑虑，布鲁克斯指出，现代设备普遍支持设置紧急呼叫白名单，仅放行少数关键联系人的来电。他强调，公众日常消费的突发政治新闻和社交媒体言论绝非刻不容缓的真正危机，过往世代无需分秒追踪外部资讯同样维持了高效而健康的生活，个体应通过技术过滤将认知精力从无意义的琐事中解脱出来。布鲁克斯总结认为，主动接纳无聊是重建个人深层意义的必要路径；尽管抗拒数字化刺激会触发神经化学层面的戒断痛苦，但唯有通过严谨的数字卫生边界限制设备干扰，个体才能重新唤醒反思能力并恢复心理韧性。

Detailed notes — zh

## Background 该视频由《哈佛商业评论》（Harvard Business Review）于2025年8月26日发布在YouTube平台。视频简介指出，无聊并非心智缺陷而是一项关键功能；哈佛大学教授阿瑟·C·布鲁克斯（Arthur C. Brooks）在片中解析了无聊如何激活大脑网络、激发创造力并抵御抑郁，以此倡导人们接纳心智漫游。 ## TL;DR 布鲁克斯教授指出，人类在缺乏外部刺激时会启动大脑的“默认模式网络”（DMN），但现代人因恐惧直面存在主义与人生意义的叩问，宁可遭受电击或频繁刷手机来逃避放空。智能手机的即时刺激打断了深度反思，将人们推入意义缺失、焦虑与抑郁激增的“毁灭循环”。为此，他建议通过在通勤或健身时戒断屏幕来刻意训练耐受无聊的能力，并分享了自己晚上7点后禁用设备、手机不进卧室及餐桌无屏等三项铁律，呼吁大众放下手机重拾生活意义。 ## Atmosphere & style 整段视频兼具学术思辨的严密与长者促膝长谈的真挚温情。布鲁克斯的语调从容而坚定，既有援引神经科学与心理学经典实验时的严谨犀利，又有剖析自身多巴胺脱瘾过程时的坦诚幽默。随着叙述从现代人的焦虑困境层层推进至具体的数字戒断实践，情绪曲线从警醒发问逐渐转向平静有力的呼吁，给观众带来一种发人深省且洗涤浮躁的观省体验。 ## Bulletin - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=0s) 哈佛大学教授阿瑟·C·布鲁克斯指出，无聊不是生理缺陷而是一种功能；从不让自己感到无聊会导致人生意义感缺失，甚至大幅增加抑郁与焦虑风险。 - [00:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=35s) 当缺乏外部认知刺激时，大脑会启动“默认模式网络”（DMN）引导心智漫游，但人类极度抗拒这种向内反思，丹·吉尔伯特的实验显示受试者宁可电击自己也不愿独处 15 分钟。 - [01:28](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=88s) 智能手机正在充当消灭无聊的工具，即使是 15 秒的碎片等待时间也被屏幕填满，导致人们陷入彻底关闭 DMN、停止探寻生活终极意义的“毁灭循环”。 - [03:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=220s) 布鲁克斯提出刻意耐受无聊的日常训练法，并分享了个人三项铁律：晚上 7 点后禁用设备、手机不进卧室、用餐时严禁使用屏幕。 ## Key takeaways - [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=0s) 无聊是人类大脑的关键功能而非程序缺陷，刻意回避无聊会导致意义感丧失与抑郁倾向升高。 - [00:20](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=20s) 在缺乏密集认知任务时，大脑会自动激活“默认模式网络”（Default Mode Network, DMN）。 - [00:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=35s) 哈佛大学丹·吉尔伯特的实验证实，多数受试者宁愿承受电击痛苦，也不愿在没有娱乐设备的房间内独处 15 分钟。 - [01:08](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=68s) 人类排斥无聊的根源在于 DMN 启动后会触及关于生存目标与人生方向等令人不安的存在主义叩问。 - [01:18](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=78s) 当代社会抑郁与焦虑激增的核心诱因之一，是人们普遍迷茫且彻底停止去探寻生活的意义与目的。 - [01:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=95s) 智能手机让人类能够轻易逃避轻微不适，彻底切断了大脑通过默认模式网络进行深层整合的机会。 - [02:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=125s) 每次无聊就掏出手机会形成“意义缺失的毁灭循环”，让人们寻找生活连贯性与重要性变得越发艰难。 - [02:42](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=162s) 可以通过不戴耳机健身、静音通勤等日常练习，循序渐进培养对 15 分钟以上无聊状态的耐受力。 - [03:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=180s) 脱离数字感官轰炸后，心智漫游反而更容易促成突破性的灵感迸发与创造力涌现。 - [03:20](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=200s) 学会耐受无聊能钝化对日常平淡琐事的厌倦感，从而有效提升长期的整体幸福度。 - [03:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=220s) 布鲁克斯严格执行个人数字戒断法则：晚间 7 点停用电子设备、手机绝不进卧室、家庭用餐时完全屏除屏幕。 - [04:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=240s) 用餐时禁用手机体现了人际交往的真实在场原则：陪伴身边的人，而非不在场的人。 - [04:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=255s) 社交媒体戒断初期多巴胺系统会出现激烈的成瘾戒断反应，但渡过初期便会迎来更清澈充实的内心状态。 - [04:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=280s) 布鲁克斯驳斥了“害怕错过紧急情况”的看手机借口，强调社交动态与即时新闻绝非不可延后的紧急事件。 ## Detailed walkthrough ### [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=0s) 默认模式网络与电击实验：为什么人类如此排斥“无聊” 哈佛大学教授阿瑟·C·布鲁克斯（Arthur C. Brooks）开门见山地提出了一个反直觉的论点：人类极其需要无聊。在他看来，无聊绝非一种程序缺陷，而是一种关键功能；如果你从不让自己感到无聊，你的人生意义感将会大幅缩水，甚至更容易陷入抑郁之中。布鲁克斯开门见山地断言：“You will have less meaning and you will be more depressed if you never are bored.”（如果从不感到无聊，你的人生意义感会更少，你也会更容易抑郁）。从神经科学的角度来看，当人们没有进行密集的认知活动时，大脑的思考系统会自动切换，启动一个被称为“默认模式网络”（Default Mode Network，简称 DMN）的脑区结构群。这个名字听起来深奥，实际上指的是当大脑没有外部具体任务需要思考时——比如开车等红灯却恰巧忘记带手机的片刻——就会被激活的神经回路。然而，人类极其厌恶这种放空状态。布鲁克斯提到了他在哈佛大学心理学系的同事丹·吉尔伯特（Dan Gilbert）主持过的一项著名实验：受试者被单独关在一间没有任何娱乐设备的房间里整整 15 分钟，指令是绝对什么都不做。房间里唯一的物品是一个按钮，只要按下去，受试者就会对自己施加一次痛苦的电击。实验的结果令人瞠目结舌：绝大多数参与者宁愿按下按钮电击自己，也不愿意独自忍受 15 分钟的无所事事。 ```mermaid flowchart TD accTitle: 无聊对大脑激活机制与选择的分流 accDescr: 展示当外部认知刺激消失时大脑如何触发默认模式网络以及人类对不适感的两种应对路径 subgraph Trigger["无外部刺激状态"] A["认知放空 / 缺乏外部刺激<br/>（如等红灯、空闲坐着）"] B["激活默认模式网络<br/>（Default Mode Network, DMN）"] A --> B end subgraph Reaction["面对内心不适的分流"] C["直面存在主义发问<br/>（思考人生意义、方向、价值）"] D["痛苦逃避 / 寻找刺激<br/>（宁受电击 / 掏出手机刷屏）"] B --> C B --> D end subgraph Outcome["最终结果"] E["建立意义感与激发创新灵感"] F["陷入意义缺失与焦虑的恶性循环"] C --> E D --> F end ``` ### [01:08](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=68s) 存在主义叩问与逃避屏幕：意义缺失的“毁灭循环” 人类之所以觉得无聊如此可怕，是因为默认模式网络一旦启动，就会驱使心智漫游，并不可避免地触及令人感到不安的存在主义终极问题——例如“我活着到底有什么意义？”这种向内探索的迷茫与不适，正是现代人极力躲避的根源。然而，布鲁克斯强调，这类反思对心灵健康至关重要。当代社会中抑郁和焦虑呈爆发式增长，核心根源之一正在于人们找不到生活的意义，其迷茫程度远超以往任何时代，而且人们甚至已经停止去探寻这个答案。之所以停止寻找意义，是因为人类发明了一种能够彻底消灭无聊的工具——智能手机。口袋里那块发光的屏幕，让人类几乎能够完全关闭大脑中的默认模式网络。哪怕只是在街角等待红绿灯变化的短短 15 秒，人们都会迫不及待地掏出手机。布鲁克斯指出，这种行为本质上是在逃避默认模式网络带来的轻微不适，逃避那些自己暂时无法把握的宏大议题。然而，这也构成了心理上的“毁灭循环”（doom loop of meaning）：每一次感到微小无聊就抓起手机，寻找人生意义就会变得越发艰难。布鲁克斯就此警告道：“If every time you're slightly bored pull out your phone, it's going to get harder and harder for you to find meaning, and that's the recipe for depression and anxiety and a sense of hollowness, which, by the way, are all through the roof.”（如果每次稍感无聊就掏出手机，你探寻意义就会变得越来越难，而这正是导致抑郁、焦虑和空虚感飙升的罪魁祸首）。 - **现代社会心理危机**：焦虑与抑郁症发病率飙升，其背后不仅是生活节奏快，更是缺乏对生活“目的”（purpose）、“连贯性”（coherence）和“重要性”（significance）的深刻体认。 - **微习惯的侵蚀**：即使是 15 秒钟的碎片空隙，也被短视频或社交动态填满，彻底扼杀了潜意识反思的发生。 ### [02:42](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=162s) 刻意训练“耐受无聊”：从日常独处中重塑心智面对这种困境，布鲁克斯给出的处方是：主动拥抱无聊，多让自己处于无聊之中。他向受众提出了几个极具挑战性的日常实验：明早醒去健身房锻炼时，试着完全不带手机，忍受不听播客、不放音乐的状态，仅仅让自己沉浸在自己的脑海中；在早晚通勤时关掉收音机，在全然的静默中驾驶或乘坐交通工具。布鲁克斯保证，脱离数字设备后，许多人会经历久违的灵光乍现，迎来最有趣的绝妙想法。这种练习的核心在于逐步培养对 15 分钟甚至更长时间“无聊”的耐受能力。布鲁克斯指出，一旦掌握了这种技能，生活将发生实质性的正向变化： - **钝化对琐事的厌倦**：掌握了无聊这项技能后，你反而会对日常工作、人际关系以及周遭看似平淡的事物产生更高的耐受度与兴趣，不再轻易感到厌烦。 - **深入探索宏大课题**：大脑重新获得深入审视人生根本问题的空间，理清个人的人生目标、连贯性与价值感。 - **提升整体幸福度**：摆脱了无时无刻的感官轰炸后，心智恢复清晰，幸福感自然油然而生。 ### [03:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=220s) 布鲁克斯的私人数字戒断法则与破除“紧急情况”借口布鲁克斯坦言，作为学者，他自己同样会受到相同神经生物化学机制的支配，产生对手机的多巴胺依赖。为了践行自己的建议，他在个人生活中制定并严格执行三项铁律：第一，傍晚 7 点之后全面禁用电子设备；第二，绝不带手机进卧室睡觉；第三，家庭用餐期间严禁出现任何电子设备。关于用餐规则，布鲁克斯温情而坚定地解释：“Because we're there for each other. We're not there for people who aren't there.”（因为我们聚在一起是为了陪伴彼此，而不是为了那些不在场的人）。此外，他还会定期进行屏幕与社交媒体的彻底断联（cleanse）。他生动地描述戒断初期的心理感受——那就像“脑子里有一群小孩在尖叫”，是大脑多巴胺系统在疯狂叫嚣着“去拿手机！快拿手机！”；但只要熬过最初的戒断反应，内心就会重新归于平静，并感到某种被洗涤般的充实。许多人抗拒放下手机，往往借口“害怕错过紧急情况”。布鲁克斯驳斥了这种自欺欺人的心理：现代手机完全可以设置紧急联系人白名单，只允许一两个至亲号码呼入；如果不懂怎么设置，“去问你的孩子就行”。布鲁克斯犀利地指出，绝大多数人频繁查看的内容根本谈不上紧急，“推特（Twitter）上的热点动态绝非紧急事项，新闻完全可以等等；你的祖父母当年不需要每分每秒都掌握华盛顿特区发生了什么，而你们现在却在用这些无谓的信息折磨自己。”在演讲的尾声，布鲁克斯收起学术分析的口吻，以一名长辈与同路人的真挚姿态给出了最终告诫：“Put down your phones. You need more meaning in your life. And so do I.”（放下你们的手机吧。你的生活需要更多意义，我也一样）。 ## Notable quotes > [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=0s) You will have less meaning and you will be more depressed if you never are bored. — Arthur C. Brooks > [01:08](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8&t=68s) If every time you're slightly bored pull out your phone, it's going to get harder and harder for you to find meaning, and that's the recipe for depression and anxiety and a sense of hollowness, which, by the way, are all through the roof. — Arthur C. Brooks ## Mentioned Arthur C. Brooks, Dan Gilbert, Harvard University, Harvard Business Review, The Happiness Files, The Atlantic, Twitter, Default Mode Network ## Video description Boredom isn’t a bug—it’s a feature. Harvard professor Arthur C. Brooks explains why boredom unlocks creativity, activates a powerful brain network, and might even protect you from depression. Learn how the mind wanders—and why that’s a very good thing. For more insights on leadership, success, and workplace well-being, explore Arthur's new book, "The Happiness Files", a curated selection of essays from his popular column in The Atlantic: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F4MFQ6VN You can also sign up to receive Arthur’s new six-week newsletter, “The Leader’s Happiness Reset.” It includes excerpts from his new book along with insights and guidance on how to find happiness at work, for yourself and for your team: https://hbr.org/email-newsletters. More by Arthur Brooks: https://arthurbrooks.com/ Books, tools, and more: store.hbr.org Follow us: https://hbr.org/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/harvard-business-review/ https://www.facebook.com/HBR/ https://twitter.com/HarvardBiz https://www.instagram.com/harvard_business_review Sign up for Newsletters: https://hbr.org/email-newsletters #HarvardBusinessReview #YourCareer #Career #Job #Work #Business #Harvard #HarvardBusinessSchool Copyright © 2025 Harvard Business School Publishing. All rights reserved. [Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orQKfIXMiA8)

Source quotes

[0:00] Arthur C. Brooks: You will have less meaning and you will be more depressed if you never are bored. [1:08] Arthur C. Brooks: If every time you're slightly bored pull out your phone, it's going to get harder and harder for you to find meaning, and that's the recipe for depression and anxiety and a sense of hollowness, which, by the way, are all through the roof.

Source quotes

[1:46] Arthur Brooks: If every time you're slightly bored pull out your phone, it's going to get harder and harder for you to find meaning, and that's the recipe for depression and anxiety and a sense of hollowness.

Original transcript

[0:00] ARTHUR BROOKS: You need to be bored. [0:01] You will have less meaning and you [0:03] will be more depressed if you never are bored. [0:05] I mean, it couldn't be clearer. [0:10] Let me give you the good side of boredom in general. [0:14] Boredom is a tendency for us to not be occupied [0:18] otherwise cognitively, which switches over our thinking [0:22] system to use a part of our brain [0:24] that's called the default mode network. [0:27] That sounds fancy. [0:27] It's really not. [0:28] The default mode network is a bunch [0:30] of structures in your brain that switch [0:32] on when you don't have anything else to think about. [0:35] So you forgot your phone and you're sitting [0:37] at a light, for example. [0:39] That's when your default mode network goes on. [0:42] We don't like it. [0:43] My colleague in the psychology department [0:45] here at Harvard, Dan Gilbert, he did experiments [0:48] where people had to sit in a room for 15 [0:50] minutes with instructions to do absolutely nothing, [0:53] and there was nothing in the room to do, [0:55] except there was a button in front of them [0:57] that they could push. [0:58] And if they did, they gave themselves [1:00] a painful electric shock. [1:02] Sit there bored, or get a shock. [1:04] A big majority of the participants [1:05] gave themselves shocks instead of thinking about nothing. [1:08] We don't like boredom. [1:09] Boredom is boredom is terrible. [1:11] Why is boredom so bad? [1:12] Well, because the default mode network makes [1:15] us think about things that might be kind of uncomfortable. [1:18] When you think about nothing while your mind wanders [1:20] and thinks about, for example, big questions of meaning [1:23] in your life. [1:24] What does my life mean? [1:25] You go to uncomfortable existential questions [1:28] when you're bored. [1:29] That turns out to be incredibly important, incredibly good. [1:32] One of the reasons we have such an explosion of depression [1:35] and anxiety in our society today is because people actually [1:38] don't know the meaning of their lives, [1:40] much less so in previous generations. [1:42] Tons of data show this, and furthermore, we're [1:45] not even looking. [1:46] Why not? [1:48] I'll tell you why not. [1:49] We figured out a way to eliminate boredom. [1:52] We've been able, almost completely, [1:56] to shut off the default mode network in our brains. [1:59] How? [2:00] The answer is that thing in your pocket with the screen, [2:03] which you take out even when you're standing on the street [2:06] corner waiting for the light to change, [2:07] is like, I might have to wait here for 15 seconds. [2:12] What are you doing? [2:12] You're actually trying to not be bored because the default mode [2:15] network is mildly uncomfortable, because it sends you [2:18] to the types of questions that you can't get your mind around. [2:20] You can't get your arms around. [2:22] Well, that's a big problem. [2:23] That's a doom loop of meaning. [2:26] If every time you're slightly bored pull out your phone, [2:29] it's going to get harder and harder for you to find meaning, [2:32] and that's the recipe for depression and anxiety [2:36] and a sense of hollowness, which, by the way, [2:39] are all through the roof. [2:42] I get it. [2:43] You don't want to be bored. [2:44] You need to be bored. [2:46] Be bored more. [2:47] Tomorrow, when you go to the gym in the morning [2:49] after you wake up, don't take your phone. [2:52] Can you handle it? [2:53] Not listening to a podcast while you're working out. [2:56] Just being in your head. [2:57] I promise you, you'll have your most interesting ideas [3:00] while you're working out without devices. [3:02] It's probably been a long time since you've done that. [3:04] Commute with nothing, not even the radio. [3:07] Can you do that? [3:08] Start getting better at periods that [3:10] are 15 minutes and longer of boredom, [3:13] and watch your life change. [3:16] Number one, you'll be less bored with ordinary things [3:18] in your life. [3:19] If you get better at the skill of boredom, [3:21] you'll be less bored with your job. [3:22] You'll be less bored with your relationships. [3:24] You'll be less bored with the things that [3:25] are going on around you. [3:27] But more importantly, you'll start digging [3:29] into the biggest questions in your life, purpose, meaning, [3:33] coherence, significance. [3:36] And who knows? [3:38] You might just get happier. [3:40] People ask me all the time, is the doctor [3:42] taking his own prescriptions? [3:44] And the answer is, yes. [3:45] Yes, I am. [3:46] I'm prone to the same pathologies as anybody else [3:49] because I have the same brain chemistry as everybody else. [3:51] So what do I do to fight that? [3:52] And the answer is, well, I do a number of things. [3:54] I have a no device policy after 7:00 in the afternoon. [3:59] I don't sleep with my phone. [4:01] We don't have devices when we have meals in my family. [4:06] Because we're there for each other. [4:07] We're not there for people who aren't there. [4:10] Three, I have regular social media [4:12] and screen cleanses where I don't use my device [4:16] for longer periods of time. [4:18] First, it's like children screaming in my head [4:22] because that's how dopamine is saying, get the phone, [4:25] get the phone. [4:26] That's addiction. [4:27] But it calms down and I feel better. [4:30] And I feel sort of blessed by the end. [4:33] And I pick the phone up by the end [4:35] because I have to check my emails. [4:36] And I have to be a normal, functioning, connected person [4:39] in the world. [4:40] But it does remind me that my life doesn't have to revolve [4:43] around these devices. [4:44] These protocols are really, really helpful [4:46] and I recommend them to anybody and everybody. [4:49] Don't sleep with your phone. [4:50] No phones during meals. [4:52] Regular social media fasts. [4:54] You'll get better. [4:56] People worry that if they do these things, [4:58] they're going to miss something. [4:59] There are ways that you can remedy that. [5:01] One of the things that you can do [5:02] is you can have your phone on. [5:03] You're just not looking at it, and there's [5:05] only one or two numbers that can reach you [5:07] in case of emergencies. [5:09] Phones can do that by the way. [5:10] If you don't have to do that, ask your kid. [5:13] But don't use emergencies in as an excuse. [5:15] Here's something that's not an emergency. [5:18] What's going on Twitter. [5:19] That's not an emergency answer nothing. [5:23] It doesn't matter. [5:24] The news can wait. [5:25] Seriously your grandparents didn't [5:27] what was going on every single second in Washington, DC. [5:30] You're killing yourself with this stuff. [5:33] Are you kidding me? [5:34] It's bad for you. [5:35] So let me say it straight to my kids. [5:38] Put down your phones. [5:41] You need more meaning in your life. [5:43] And so do I.