Several days ago, surfing the Net, I came across a news item which told a story of a seventeen-year-old guy who had attempted a burglary. When he was asked why he had done it, the youngster answered that he simply had nothing to do and decided to see if he would manage to open the lock of his neighbor’s front door. So, the reason for his crime was a mere boredom. I was so shocked with the news, that could not but think about it. Can boredom lead to trouble? Unfortunately, we must admit that it is true.
If teenagers are bored, they may start hanging out with a bad company just because it would seem to bring some entertainment. The same motivation can make them try and use cigarettes, alcoholic drinks or even drugs. Boredom often makes young people do something illegal to get their share of adrenaline. If they are clever, they can become computer hackers, creating new viruses or cracking the systems of multinational companies and governmental organizations. This helps them train their brain and get their doze of emotions. If youths are not that intelligent, they may commit some crime, just because they think it would make them feel excited. And finally, even if a bored teenager stays at home and watches TV, this can still lead to trouble, but of a different kind. They may adopt a couch potato life style and spoil their health by a limited amount of movements and an excessive amount of junk food and TV viewing.
So, boredom can definitely have a lot of negative outcomes. If parents want to help their children to overcome this difficult stage, they should make them interested in sport, theater, cinema, as well as provide time when they can communicate with friends.