They Want to Influence You to Do … Nothing

Some GenZ influencers are so weird. For goodness sake, do something: go for a walk, read a book; don't just sit there making empty "content"…

…James Danckert, who runs a "boredom lab" at the University of Waterloo in Canada, where he studies the psychological and neurological roots of boredom, cautioned new practitioners not to indulge a "gross misunderstanding of boredom," in which this mental state is assumed to be a de facto good.

"Boredom is signaling for you a lack of meaning, a lack of purpose in your life," he said in an interview, calling the TikTok challenge in particular "a misguided approach." The goal, he explained, is not to wallow in feelings of disinterest and malaise but to find some way to alleviate them.

There are better ways for people to cope, Dr. Danckert said, other than locking themselves in a cage of existential ennui — by going outside or finding a new hobby, for instance. Reading also works. "You don't have to do nothing."

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/01/style/boredom-online-trend-influencers-tiktok.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share