Overcoming the Pull of Social Media

Summary

In this episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, the discussion revolves around the concept of boredom and its evolutionary purpose as a signal to seek more efficient activities. The conversation highlights how modern media consumption, averaging 11 hours a day, has numbed us to boredom, hindering the brain's default mode network which is crucial for creativity and introspection. The episode explores the negative impacts of constant digital stimulation, including increased anxiety and burnout, and emphasizes the importance of balancing screen time with solitude to foster deeper thinking and creativity.

Takeaways

• 🧠 Boredom is an evolutionary signal that prompts us to seek more efficient uses of our time, which is essential for survival and progress.
• 📱 Modern society's reliance on digital media has reduced our exposure to boredom, with people spending an average of 11 hours a day on such platforms.
• 👨‍🏫 The speaker, a professor, illustrates the extent of media consumption by having students share their screen time, revealing high levels of daily engagement.
• 🤔 Boredom can stimulate creativity and introspection, which are essential for generating new ideas and allowing the brain to rest and reset.
• 📱 The immediate escape from boredom provided by smartphones and digital media can lead to a constant state of brain stimulation, potentially contributing to burnout and anxiety.
• 💡 Research indicates that periods of boredom can enhance creativity, as evidenced by studies where bored participants outperformed those constantly stimulated.
• 📝 Writers and creators often require solitude and moments of discomfort to foster deep thinking and the emergence of original ideas.
• 🚫 The speaker advises against using digital distractions as a crutch, emphasizing the importance of facing the discomfort of boredom for creative output.
• 🌲 Historical and religious figures have often sought solitude for introspection and creativity, suggesting its importance across cultures and time.
• 🔄 The challenge in today's digital age is to balance screen time and media consumption with periods of solitude and introspection for mental well-being and creativity.

Q & A

What is the evolutionary purpose of boredom according to the transcript?

Boredom is an evolutionary discomfort that signals that the current activity is not an efficient use of time, prompting individuals to seek out more productive tasks.

How many hours a day does the average person engage with digital media as mentioned in the transcript?

The average person engages with digital media for about 11 hours a day.

What is the impact of constantly escaping boredom through digital media on our brains according to the discussion?

Constantly escaping boredom through digital media prevents the brain from entering a restful state, which can lead to burnout, anxiety, and hinders creativity.

Why is it beneficial to allow ourselves to experience boredom as per the transcript?

Allowing ourselves to experience boredom can lead to increased creativity and new idea generation, as it allows the brain to enter a default mode network, which is a restful and introspective state.

What does the transcript suggest about the difference between loneliness and solitude?

Loneliness is generally not good for us, but solitude, which is the voluntary choice to be alone for introspection, can be beneficial for creativity and deep thinking.

What historical figures are mentioned in the transcript as examples of individuals who benefited from solitude?

Historical figures mentioned include Jesus, Buddha, and Abraham Lincoln, who all spent significant time alone to foster creativity and introspection.

What is the 'default mode network' referred to in the transcript?

The 'default mode network' is a state of the brain that is active when a person is not focused on the outside world and allows the brain to rest, revive, and engage in mind-wandering.

How does the transcript describe the effect of digital media on our daily interactions?

The transcript describes digital media as having a negative impact on daily interactions, with people preferring to engage with their phones rather than with the people they are physically with.

What advice does the transcript give for managing the influence of digital media in our lives?

The transcript suggests reducing screen time and engaging in solitude to balance the constant stimulation from digital media and to foster creativity and deeper thinking.

What is the significance of the 'muse' in the context of the transcript's discussion on creativity?

In the context of the transcript, the 'muse' is treated as a real entity that bestows creative ideas upon individuals who consistently engage in their work and embrace discomfort, rather than constantly seeking external stimulation.

Outlines

00:00

📱 The Impact of Digital Media on Boredom and Creativity

The speaker discusses the evolutionary purpose of boredom, which signals that current activities are not efficiently utilizing time, prompting a search for more productive tasks. In modern times, with the prevalence of digital media, people spend an average of 11 hours a day engaged with it, leading to a constant stimulation that replaces boredom. This instant escape from boredom through devices like smartphones hinders the brain's natural tendency to wander and reset, which is essential for creativity and mental health. The speaker, a professor, illustrates this by sharing anecdotes from his students' screen time and emphasizes the need for solitude and introspection to foster creativity, which is often stifled by constant digital engagement.

05:01

🧘‍♂️ Embracing Solitude for Enhanced Creativity and Mental Well-being

The conversation shifts to the importance of solitude and its distinction from loneliness. Solitude is presented as a deliberate choice to be alone for introspection, which is beneficial for mental well-being and creativity. The speaker contrasts this with loneliness, which is detrimental. Historical figures like Jesus, Buddha, and Abraham Lincoln are cited as examples of individuals who used solitude for deep thinking and creativity. The discussion also touches on the challenges of breaking away from the constant pull of digital distractions and the need to balance digital consumption with periods of solitude to maintain a healthy mental state and foster original thought.

Keywords

💡Boredom

Boredom is described in the video as an evolutionary discomfort that signals to us that our current activity is not an efficient use of time, prompting us to seek out new, more productive tasks. It's related to the video's theme as it discusses how modern digital media has reduced our exposure to boredom, which the speaker argues is necessary for creativity and introspection. For example, the speaker contrasts the natural response to boredom with the modern tendency to escape it by engaging with digital media.

💡Digital Media

Digital media is a central concept in the video, referring to the various forms of electronic communication and entertainment that are prevalent in contemporary society. The speaker discusses how an 'influx of media' has led to people spending an average of 11 hours a day engaged with it, which is seen as a replacement for natural experiences of boredom and solitude that can foster creativity and deep thought.

💡Evolutionary Discomfort

Evolutionary discomfort is used in the context of boredom being a signal from our evolutionary past that something is not right with our current activities. It's a concept that underscores the video's argument about the importance of boredom in driving us towards more productive or survival-oriented behaviors. The speaker uses this term to explain why boredom might have been beneficial in our evolutionary history.

💡Solitude

Solitude in the video is portrayed as a state of being alone that is chosen for introspection and deep thinking, as opposed to loneliness, which is involuntary and can be harmful. The speaker argues for the benefits of solitude, suggesting that it allows for creativity and the generation of new ideas, which is a key theme in the discussion about balancing digital media consumption with personal reflection.

💡Mind Wandering

Mind wandering is mentioned as a beneficial mental state that occurs when we are bored and allows our brains to reset and revive. It's related to the video's theme by illustrating how periods of boredom can lead to creative insights and solutions, as opposed to constant stimulation from digital media which leaves little room for the brain to rest and generate new thoughts.

💡Default Mode Network

The default mode network is a network of brain regions that is active when an individual is not focused on the outside world and the brain is at wakeful rest. In the video, it is mentioned as the state the brain enters during solitude or mind wandering, which is contrasted with the constant stimulation and 'lifting' that occurs when we are engaged with digital media.

💡Burnout

Burnout is discussed in the video as a potential consequence of constantly engaging with digital media and never experiencing boredom or solitude. It is used to illustrate the physical and mental exhaustion that can result from an overworked brain that never gets a chance to rest and rejuvenate, which is a key message in the video about the importance of balancing media consumption.

💡Creativity

Creativity is a recurring theme in the video, with the speaker arguing that boredom can be a catalyst for creative thinking. The video references studies that show people who experience boredom perform better on creativity tests, suggesting that taking breaks from constant stimulation allows the mind to generate original ideas.

💡Distraction

Distraction is a key concept in the video, referring to the pull of digital media that can divert our attention from more productive or creative activities. The speaker discusses personal strategies for resisting the urge to distract oneself with digital media, which is a central theme in the discussion about managing our relationship with technology.

💡Media Class

The media class mentioned in the video serves as a practical example of the speaker's observations about media consumption. The speaker recounts an exercise in a university class where students are asked to check their screen time, which often exceeds several hours a day, illustrating the pervasiveness of digital media in daily life.

💡Loneliness

Loneliness is contrasted with solitude in the video, with the speaker noting that while solitude can be beneficial for introspection and creativity, loneliness is often involuntary and can be detrimental to mental health. The distinction is important for understanding the video's message about the value of choosing to be alone for personal growth, rather than feeling isolated.

Highlights

The evolutionary purpose of boredom as a signal to seek more efficient use of time.

The average person spends 11 hours a day engaging with digital media.

In a university class, students reported spending between 7 to 9 hours on their phones daily.

Boredom prompts the brain to seek more efficient activities, which is now replaced by easy digital escapes.

The contrast between the social interactions in the past and the current phone-centric behavior.

The brain's default mode network as a rest period when not focused on external stimuli.

Boredom's role in fostering creativity and the mind-wandering state.

Research showing that bored individuals perform better on creativity tests.

The necessity of experiencing discomfort for the generation of creative ideas.

The challenge of maintaining focus in the face of digital distractions.

The concept of the 'muse' and the importance of showing up for work to invite creativity.

The difficulty of reducing screen time when other forms of media are still consuming.

The irony of discussing digital addiction on a digital platform.

The need to balance digital consumption with moments of solitude and introspection.

The benefits of solitude for introspection and creativity, supported by historical figures.

The difference between loneliness and solitude, and the importance of learning to be alone.

The impact of constant digital stimulation on the brain and the potential for burnout and anxiety.

Transcripts

the jurgen experience so this is another

uh thing that i point out in the book is

that we're never bored anymore

so as we evolved boredom is this

evolutionary discomfort that basically

told us

whatever you're spending your time on

right now it's not an efficient use of

your time

so go find something else now in the

past this would be like let's say you're

picking berries from a bush you've

picked the easiest to pick ones

well if we didn't have the skew of

boredom we'd be like reaching into the

very back for the berries that are hard

to pick but

they become successfully harder to pick

because we've picked all these different

ones right

boredom would kick on and be like hey

your return on your time invested has

worn thin

move on to another bush right but

nowadays

with this influx of media we have people

spend

11 hours a day engaging with digital

media

is that real yeah 11 and that's the

average so

what you want to hear an even crazier

thing yeah

okay so i'm a i'm a professor at

university of nevada las vegas

and one of the classes i teach is an

intro class so it's got about 150

students

and some media class i teach in the

journalism department

first day of class i'll talk about how

just how things have changed with media

you know it's like we live

2.5 million years with no media in our

lives and now it's become our lives and

then i will ask

all right i want everyone to pull out

your phone right now i want you to look

at your screen time

tell me how much you have who thinks i

have the highest

we'll start to go through people i've

had people you know seven hours 45

minutes

eight hours 50 minutes 9 hours 16

minutes

it's like that's your entire day

all on that cell phone right so nowadays

when we have this discomfort of boredom

kick

in we have a super easy escape from it

right right we're not forced to be like

okay what am i doing with my time

is there something better i could be

doing we just pull out our phone

and you see this right anytime people

have one moment of

solitude or inactivity it's like oh

might as well just check my phone

it's brutal when you see people on dates

they're not even talking to each other

they're just looking at each other's

phones

yeah go wow people at dinner it's like

yeah

it's like you're in front of an actual

person yeah and you prefer to

communicate

in digital with someone who's not even

there

totally and um what's interesting about

boredom is when oftentimes when boredom

would kick on we would go

uh inward sort of mind wander and

mind wandering it gives you your brain

some time to like reset and revive

whereas anytime you're focused on the

outside world your brain

is actively processing information so

this is kind of like

in the book i compare it to lifting away

when you're

having a conversation looking at your

phone watching a screen whatever you're

doing if you're

focusing on the outside world your brain

is working and it's lifting

when you go inward your brain goes into

this default mode network which is like

a rest period

right so now because every time we're

bored we just pull out that

screen and focus more our brains are

just constantly being worked and

overworked and overworked

this is associated with just burnout

anxiety etc

yeah it's there's some real benefits to

boredom in terms of creativity as well

like oh totally boredom is really good

for coming up with new ideas yeah and

there's actually research behind this

they've done studies where they'll have

they'll have people watch something

really boring like a video of people

folding laundry just like they bore the

[ __ ] out of these participants

and then they have them come up with

take these different creativity tests

that scientists use

and the people who were bored come up

with more better

uh solutions and responses than the

people who had been stimulated the whole

time

and you think about this i mean just in

terms of anecdotes from creators it's

like

you need time to just sit and be with

yourself and have these

weird ideas bubble to the surface if you

never have that

you're not letting that the weird stuff

come out you know i mean

like do you experience this when you're

trying to think of

stuff in your own work yeah you have to

have discomfort the worst

thing that could ever happen to me from

writing is to just open the browser

and start let me just google this real

quick and see

it's like i play little games of myself

like i'll be in the middle of writing

i'm like what does that mean

really and then i'll google it like shut

the [ __ ] up and get get back to work

yeah

because like i'm just being distracted

i'm just distracting myself and

sometimes i'll allow myself a couple of

minutes of distraction

before i get mad but really i shouldn't

allow myself any

i should just keep working and sometimes

people say

i can't write i just stare at the screen

and nothing comes down like yeah that's

what's supposed to happen

yeah that's how it works man you're

supposed to [ __ ] stare at the screen

yeah and then you just write some

nonsense and eventually something good

will come out of that

yeah but if you just bail because you

don't like the staring at the screen

part and nothing's coming out

guess what you're never going to write

anything congratulations so then you'll

be at the whim

of whatever random spontaneous

creativity just

pops into your head throughout the day

yeah and sometimes you'll get some

and sometimes you won't yeah but

pressfield talks about that in the war

of art have you read that book

uh i haven't read that book i've heard

it's a very small book but it's really

good it's great for writers

and it's he's basically says he he talks

about the muse

as if the muse is a real thing and he's

like treat it like it's a real thing

treat it like

you're a professional and you're there

to summon the muse and if you just show

up every day and do that work

it will come it will come to you and it

will bestow upon you these creative

ideas

but if you don't do that if you don't

sit down and be

discomfort to be uncomfortable rather

rather

it won't happen and in this day and age

like you said we're so accustomed

to having our any boredom

alleviated by our phone yeah so in the

book too i talk about

you hear all this stuff that's like

break up with your phone

less time on your phone here are a

thousand different ways to use your

phone less

yes that is important but the problem is

is a lot of times

when people go okay i'm gonna use my

phone less so they put their phone in

you know safe or whatever weird habit

they've developed but then they go watch

netflix it's like your brain doesn't

know the damn difference between the

screen on your phone and the screen on

your tv the point is that you need to

remove yourself

from this outside media that's totally

just weaved its way

into your life like stimulating you with

nothing

yeah yeah the switch from phone to

netflix is like going i'm quitting

smoking but i'm gonna go buy some red

man and just pack that in

real hard you know yeah same thing we're

all aware

that there's this immense gravity that

comes from the digital world

it's it's immense it's just constantly

pulling you in with new content and new

distractions and this is one of them

this [ __ ] thing that you and i are on

that's it's ironic this is we're talking

[ __ ] about what we actually are doing

right now

but they you know they pull you

they pull you and we all know that it's

probably not

the best way to live but it's so hard to

break

the addiction i mean it's it's amazing

right it's amazing that

i can pull up a podcast and listen to

almost whoever i want their thoughts and

get these new ideas but at the same time

it's like if that's

all you're spending your time doing

there's some downsides we need to offset

it that i you know i don't necessarily

think the answer is to

go live in the woods in alaska for the

rest of your life although that'd be

pretty

cool if you did more power to you but

figuring out like how do we how do we

balance this all and have these moments

where we have

you know solitude go more inward and

aren't as stimulated

so one thing that you know after i am

standing out there

in solitude when i get home i start

researching you know what are the

benefits of solitude because we know

that

the data shows that being lonely isn't

good for us

but there's the difference between

loneliness and solitude like solitude is

electing to be

by yourself and using that time for sort

of introspection

and the scientists that i talked to they

said yeah you really need this because

a lot of times people are more conductor

circuits and they

they don't do well when they're alone at

all this is part of the reason we have

such a loneliness problem but if you can

like build this

build this capacity be alone they call

it like that can serve you well in a

long time and it also

breeds deeper thinking creativity i mean

it's like there's a reason that

thousands of years of religious

tradition

they have people who go and spend this

time alone out of nature i mean

jesus was in the desert for 40 days the

buddha exited the

palace gates you know and spent a bunch

of time alone and in solitude

even abraham lincoln used solitude and

for all his a lot of his writing

and stuff like that and i feel like

people don't have that as much anymore

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