Boredom and the Pandemic

Boredom may be the least discussed experience of the COVID-19 pandemic. The international response has affected where we go and what we can do, who we can be with or even hug. Restaurants are closed or stark and bare, and more movie theaters shutter every day. Boredom is normal, but pandemic-related boredom is a bit different. Research shows it can have health effects, as it did during the 1918 Spanish flu. These can include behavioral issues, relapse of health conditions, worsening of compulsive-behavior disorders, negative thinking, depression, and even suicide. (Suicide rates increased during the 1918 Spanish flu.)

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Source (1): www.news.columbia.edu [search "why being bored"]
Source (2): www.academic.oup.com [search "covid suicide"]

Keith Stein | 12/10/2020