The Internet and How to Eradicate Boredom
- Mr. Tomasio Rubinshtein
- Jul 25, 2021
- 4 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Introduction
We have reached a unique singularity in human history. For the first time, as long as you have regular access to the internet, you should theoretically never be bored again.
The internet is the largest "sea" of content ever known to mankind. It is the modern Library of Alexandria, but one that expands infinitely every second. It does not matter if you have money to spend or if you are penniless; beyond the cost of the connection itself, the vast majority of human knowledge, art, and entertainment is available for free.
Countless articles, videos, games, and courses are created and published every day, waiting to be discovered, consumed, and played.
With this extreme level of accessibility, one has to ask a difficult question: Why is boredom still an issue? Why do people staring at screens that hold the sum of human creativity still feel empty?
The answer lies not in the lack of content, but in the lack of the self.
The Master Key: English Proficiency
If you have a significant portion of free time and access to the internet, there is one tool that is non-negotiable for combating boredom: Proficient English.
While the internet is global, its "operating system" is English. The vast majority of high-quality, diverse content—from academic lectures to niche hobbies to global entertainment—is produced in or translated into English.
If you limit yourself only to your native tongue, you are browsing a local bookshelf while the rest of the world is exploring a digital universe.
English is not just a tool for business success.
English is a tool for mental liberation.
The better your English, the wider your net becomes. If your current fluency is insufficient to keep you occupied, then learning the language itself becomes the cure for your boredom. It was the first step I took as a child to ensure I would never run out of worlds to explore.
The Discipline of the Search
However, access is useless without Discipline.
Unlike physical exercise, which requires high energy investment and sweat, the discipline required to cure boredom is mental. It is the Discipline of Curiosity.
Modern algorithms (like TikTok or YouTube Shorts) try to remove this discipline. They spoon-feed you "content", so you don't have to search. However, this leads to a "zombie" state, where you become unnecessarily dependent on algorithms to dictate what are you going to consume. It is not genuine interest. Genuine interest would require you to break the bias-breaker hill of the algorithm, and explore the internet like it was originally intended.
To truly eradicate boredom, you must be willing to lift the "mental weights" of searching. You must be patient enough to dig through the noise to find the signal. You must be willing to expose yourself to new creators, strange ideas, and long-form content that might not pay off immediately. In other words, you must overcome the temptation for instant gratification in the name of long-term satisfaction.
This is where most people fail. They want to be entertained passively. But the cure for boredom is active exploration.
Boredom as a Symptom of Self-Ignorance
Boredom is subjective. What bores one man might fascinate another. Therefore, if you are chronically bored, it is not an indictment of the world; it is an indictment of your own self-knowledge.
Boredom indicates that you do not know yourself well enough to occupy your own mind.
To reach a state where you are rarely bored, you must invest in Self-Discovery.
What truly interests you?
What topics light a fire in your mind?
What do you despise?
Once you achieve a sufficient amount of self-knowledge, the "Search" becomes easy. You stop typing "funny videos" into the search bar and start typing specific, niche queries that feed your soul. You spend less time looking and more time consuming because you already know what you are hungry for.
The internet is like a mirror. If you stare into it and see nothing, it is because you have not yet defined who is looking back. Once you decided what you want to see, you can overcome the algorithmic pull, know more about yourself, find content you wouldn't otherwise find, and eradicate boredom for good.
The Solitude Filter
Solitude is terrifyingly boring to many people because it forces them to depend entirely on their own internal resources. When you are alone, there is no "social noise" to distract you. There is no one else to carry the burden of the conversation. Hence the existence of the art of being alone.
This is the prime reason the majority of society seeks constant company.
Socializing is often just "outsourcing" your entertainment to others. It kills time without requiring you to do the heavy lifting.
Solitude requires you to be your own entertainer, your own philosopher, and your own friend.
As an advocate of solitude, I am not surprised when people tell me they prefer hanging out with others. It is the "Easy Mode" of existence. To hang out with yourself requires a stronger constitution. It requires the ability to sit, alone and quietly in a room and generate your own meaning in a self-sufficient manner.
The Blueprint for a Boredom-Free Life
However, once you bridge that gap—once you know what to put in that search bar—boredom ceases to be a valid excuse.
You need a plan. You need a Curriculum of the Self. If you know precisely what you want to learn, watch, or play, the internet transforms from a chaotic sea into a precise toolbox.
I eradicated boredom from my life as a child. I taught myself English, I defined my interests, and I built a mental fortress where there is always something to do, read, or write.
The formula is simple:
Access: The Internet.
Key: English Proficiency.
Map: Self-Knowledge.
Fuel: The Determination to Search.
Your gender, your professional occupation, and your age are irrelevant. These barriers do not exist in the digital realm. The only barrier is your willingness to engage with the infinite.
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