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MTV Asia unveiled its international research study, “Break Boring, Ignite Passion,” revealing that almost all (97%) of more than 15,000 12 to 24-year-old respondents across 26 countries claimed to be affected by boredom, with two-thirds experiencing it on a weekly basis and nearly one-quarter daily, equating to more than 340 million people aged 12 to 24 being bored at some stage today.
With the average teenager in markets now owning up to six connected devices, MTV’s study suggests that being able to choose from a much wider array of content and social media choices, and the overwhelming access to information they provide, may actually be fuelling boredom in addition to alleviating it. 40% of those surveyed said mindlessly browsing the Internet was one of the most boring activities they undertook, more so than school (39%) and work (33%).
Malaysia The Most Bored Nation, Indonesia Amongst The Least Bored;
Young People Worldwide Would Rather Have Anxiety than be Bored;
Humour, Creativity and Passion Among Top Cures
Although three in four say boredom is a part of life, 85% believe it is something you can get rid of. To combat boredom, respondents’ first go-to is media and entertainment – specifically listening to music, watching movies, browsing social media, watching YouTube and entertainment television. Additionally, nearly nine out of 10 respondents cited humour as a key antidote for breaking the cycle of boredom. Meanwhile, those surveyed identified creativity (85%), curiosity (81%) and passion (73%) as valuable characteristics to stop boredom. Additionally, the vast majority (95%) said they are least bored when they’re with friends.
“The results surprised us — given this generation’s access to technology and a seemingly limitless range of content, we thought boredom might barely exist for youth,” said Kerry Taylor, the head of MTV internationally. “Understanding our audience is critical to our business, and insights like these reinforce the importance of cross-platform initiatives that unleash our audience’s creativity and inspire them by tapping into what they’re passionate about.”
NEW INTERNATIONAL MTV STUDY “BREAK BORING, IGNITE PASSION”
FINDS 97% YOUNG PEOPLE AFFECTED BY BOREDOM, DESPITE TECHNOLOGY
Additional findings from the study include:
· Boredom Nations: youth in Malaysia (83%), the United Kingdom (79%), Brazil (79%), Singapore (78%) and Sweden (77%) report highest levels of boredom. Least bored youth reside in countries including Russia (56%), Belgium (55%), Indonesia (53%), Hungary (52%) and the Netherlands (49%). All 26 countries surveyed reported a healthy dose of boredom, with only the Netherlands falling below 50%.
· Free and Bored: boredom breeds in free time for this group. Three of the top four situations in which young people are most likely to get bored are at home before bed (41%), on the weekends (33%) and during holidays (29%).
· Boredom Ranker: sixty percent of young people hate being bored. In fact, they hate boredom more than feeling anxious (58%), having acne (55%), or missing out (54%). However, being broke, failing or being embarrassed are larger concerns.
Methodology
The MTV “Break Boring, Ignite Passion” research was conducted between September 2014 and January 2015. The research included a quantitative survey, between 2 December, 2014 and 13 January, 2015, across 26 markets* of 15,330 respondents aged 12 – 24 (32.5% aged 12 – 16, 32.6% aged 17 – 20 and 34.9% aged 21 – 24). The survey was fielded via an online panel.
In addition to the quantitative survey, qualitative research was conducted with 75 face-to-face interviews with 16 – 24 year-olds across the five cities of Amsterdam, Kuala Lumpur, London, Mexico City and Rome. Interviewees were systematically screened for suitability and were representative of age and gender. Further in-situ ethnographic studies were conducted with five subjects.
Lastly a series of leading academics including Professor John Eastwood the Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology at York University, Dr. Olivier Oullier a psychologist and Professor of Behavioural and Brain Sciences at the Aix-Marseille University, Dr. James Danckert Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Waterloo and Dr.Tea Torbenfeldt Bengtsson Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Copenhagen were interviewed.
*Markets: Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Switzerland, China, Colombia, Germany, Denmark, Spain, France, Hungary, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Philippines, Poland, Russia, Sweden, Singapore, United Kingdom, United States (Hispanic), South Africa
