The Art of Doing Nothing: How Gen Z Is Embracing Boredom for Mental Well-being
In an era of constant digital stimulation, members of Generation Z have pioneered a counterintuitive trend that’s gaining significant traction online: the practice of “rawdogging” – intentionally doing absolutely nothing as a form of mental detox. What started as a social media challenge has evolved into a meaningful conversation about attention spans and psychological well-being in the digital age. These young adults are documenting themselves sitting in silence, avoiding all forms of entertainment, digital devices, and distractions for extended periods. The practice, which initially gained popularity among travelers on flights looking to disconnect during their journeys, has now expanded into a broader lifestyle movement with thousands of followers watching these experiments in voluntary boredom.
The movement gained particular visibility through a content creator named Rowan, who documented his journey of “rawdogging” for an hour each day in an attempt to reclaim his attention span. Like many in his generation, Rowan had found himself struggling to focus on meaningful work due to constant “dopamine hits” from his smartphone, caffeine, sugary foods, and games. His experiment aimed to allow his brain to “wander off freely without any stimulation” – essentially a self-prescribed digital detox. In the first installment of his challenge, Rowan filmed himself simply sitting in a recliner, visibly fidgeting with closed eyes, and admitted that “just sitting there doing nothing was a lot harder than I thought.” The difficulty he encountered speaks volumes about how accustomed modern humans have become to constant stimulation and the genuine challenge of simply being present with our own thoughts.
By the seventh day of Rowan’s experiment, something remarkable happened – he reported feeling significantly more comfortable with boredom itself. He noted a substantial shift in his relationship with his smartphone, explaining that while he previously felt compelled to use it during every daily activity (including showering, eating, and using the toilet), he no longer felt the need to “carry it everywhere.” This transformation highlights how quickly our dependence on digital stimulation can be adjusted with intentional practice. The benefits extended well beyond just comfort with silence; Rowan reported enhanced productivity and improved ability to focus on what truly mattered to him – his work, relationships, and being present in meaningful moments rather than compulsively checking his phone “every two seconds.” His conclusion was straightforward but powerful: “So far I’m satisfied with the results.”
The online response to Rowan’s experiment revealed both support and skepticism from viewers. Many found the challenge “genuinely helpful” and “motivating,” while others confessed they “couldn’t even make it through watching” the video for a single minute – perhaps unintentionally proving the point about diminished attention spans. Critics accused Rowan of simply rebranding meditation or following in the footsteps of other Generation Z trends that “discover” already-existing practices (like the “girl dinner” phenomenon that essentially rebranded leftovers). However, regardless of whether rawdogging is truly innovative, the fact that young people are intentionally seeking respite from constant stimulation signals an important cultural shift and growing awareness of digital overwhelm among those who have never known a world without smartphones.
The scientific community largely supports this embrace of boredom as beneficial for mental health and development. Psychologist Stacey Rosenfeld affirms that “learning how to tolerate boredom is an important skill” and questions how adults can navigate inevitable periods of boredom if they never develop the capacity to sit with it as children. Psychiatrist Carl Marci observes that children, after experiencing periods of boredom, naturally “start to creatively solve their problems or distract themselves with social interaction or play,” developing crucial skills in curiosity and imagination. Marci expresses concern that constant access to screens featuring “content designed primarily to capture a child’s attention and engage them as long as possible” teaches young people that “they don’t have to ever be bored” – potentially short-circuiting important developmental processes that require periods of mental downtime.
Research from Texas A&M University further validates this movement, finding that boredom isn’t merely an unpleasant state to be avoided but rather serves as a psychological signal prompting us to seek new experiences and personal growth. This scientific perspective suggests that the rawdogging trend, despite its playful name and social media origins, may be tapping into a fundamental human need that has been increasingly suppressed in our hyperconnected world. As Generation Z leads this counterintuitive movement to embrace boredom and reject constant stimulation, they may be rediscovering an essential component of mental health that previous generations took for granted. The irony isn’t lost that these experiments in doing nothing are being widely shared on the very platforms that contribute to digital overwhelm, but perhaps this contradiction perfectly encapsulates the complex relationship modern humans have with technology – simultaneously recognizing its drawbacks while using its reach to promote healthier alternatives.
