Sitting around, bored at home, is that when the best thoughts are formed? Or is that when the mind is nonproductive? Throughout my life, I have found that contrary to popular belief, not allowing myself too much downtime has led to my most productive moments. Writers and experts have elaborated their own thoughts on downtime through articles and interviews. Scheduled downtime or boredom is encouraged for the youth because it is believed to produce brighter ideas and creativity; however, this is invalid, as nothing is accomplished and engagement opportunities are missed. Anna Quindlen, writer for Newsweek, in her article “Doing Nothing Is Something” discusses reasons why boredom is fading away in today’s generation of children. Towards the …show more content…
Doing nothing is not productive for the brain. The mind will not expand and come to learn new activities and information. The author writes that “Perhaps it is not too late for American kids to be given the gift of enforced boredom for at least a week or two, staring into space, bored out of their gourds, exploring the inside of their own heads” (Quindlen). Doing nothing for a week or two has no benefit. Children can apply that time to learning new skills or being productive, whether it is around the home, a job, or sports. Also, staring into space is a waste of time and should not be considered a downtime activity. In addition to non-realistic downtime activities, apparently, pre-high school students are forced to take overly difficult classes. The author states that “There is also the culture of cutthroat and unquestioning competition that leads even the parents of preschoolers to gab about prestigious colleges without a trace of irony: this suggests that any class in which you do not enroll your first grader will put him at a disadvantage in, say, law school” (Quindlen). The mention of first graders is an exaggeration. The author used a younger student because it would sound cruel to enroll them into a tough class at a higher-ranking university. Downtime and boredom can apply to all students. If a high school student is looking to get into a top university, taking difficult classes and doing well in them is the route to take. That is not achievable through downtime. The author does not clarify a productive downtime activity. The mention of young students taking difficult classes is an ineffective and persuasive tactic used by
Should kids have a full schedule all of the time instead of being bored at times? Anna Quindlen’s, “Doing Nothing Is Something”, argues that young adults need some downtime instead of constantly being busy all of the time. She goes into detail about how much work kids have to be doing all of the time and how overwhelming it gets for them. Students nowadays are so busy that schools have to schedule downtime, parents are believed to be at fault because they don’t trust kids, and having time to be bored
week.” (Quindlen). What does this mean for the future of these children? The absence of this time is detrimental to their creative development and their ability to think independently. Quindlen accurately argues that boredom fuels creativity and the lack of free time produces less imaginative children; however, she fails to take into account the negative impacts technology has on the children of the 21st century. Anna Quindlen, a Newsweek journalist, in her article, “Doing Nothing is Something” argues
everyday lives, does it matter? Author Anna Quindlen wrote “Doing Nothing is Something” where her main focus of downtime is often dismissed as boredom, which is crucial for the well-being of children. Children should not be forced into a full schedule, as they need time to explore creativity within themselves. Anna Quindlen, writer for the New York Times and author of “Doing Nothing is Something,” challenges the purpose of the over-scheduling of America’s youth. Quindlen reflects nostalgically on her childhood