A psychology study from the universities of Harvard and Virginia showed that people would go as far as inducing electrical shocks on themselves to escape doing nothing. The despair that arises when one faces the boredom of idleness is not unfamiliar to a world that has been mostly locked up at home this year. It is not by random chance that people are adopting new hobbies and feeding vices to avoid the inertia of being quarantined.
The experiment was conducted to determine precisely how well people could take doing nothing and sitting alone with their thoughts. Before commencing, the participants of the investigation were exposed to a mild electric shock. When asked if they would pay to dodge receiving another one, almost all of them agreed to do so.
Next, they were instructed to stay still in a room for less than or exactly 15 minutes. The twist was that the only available stimulus in the room was the same electric shock machine participants had previously expressed aversion to. To the researchers’ bewilderment, approximately 43 percent of the participants had shocked themselves again by the end of the set time period.
Some argue that younger generations hooked on the constant release of dopamine from scrolling through social media platforms are more likely to subject themselves to negative stimuli than older generations. However, 11 more studies on the subject suggest that the discomfort of being left alone with one’s thoughts is a common factor in everyone regardless of age or social media consumption. In fact, the explanation for high social media consumption, among other addictive behaviors, lies precisely in people’s innately restless social nature.
Therefore, it is no surprise that quarantine is driving people to suddenly decide that they must start learning the guitar or master baking brownies. On another note, others have opted to drown agitation away in liquor or clouds of nicotine. For teens, social media and TikTok have been favorites, as usage keeps increasing ever since the dawn of quarantine. These observations further reveal how people’s ability to drop and undertake habits is intricately linked to the psychological need for external stimuli and socialization. With this information, it becomes possible to develop a more conscious awareness of the development of vices and habits during these times. Furthermore, those who have the privilege to stay home are also being prodded to rearrange where their time goes and reevaluate their priorities in life.
According to market researcher and associate director of cultural intelligence of Canvas8, people have historically responded to pandemics with the same five stages of reaction. The first ones are “denial” and “anxiety,” characterized by the distress of the unknown and exiting an autopilot lifestyle. These stages are then followed by “adjustment;” this is the period in which days and nights can seem frighteningly endless, and one may experience fallouts when battling destructive compulsions.
However, it is also the turning point before “reevaluate” and the “new normal,” where people start distinguishing and policing behaviors that no longer serve them.
Quito explains, “That’s where we end up seeing a lot of habit change, and the formation of new habits. It is also where people will almost be forced to reconsider the life they had prior. A lot of things will be streamlined or lost, they’ll be driven to give up impulse shopping, or going for a walk and buying things, or going for a daily coffee or a smoke.”
Quarantine forces people to refine their independence and be in charge of their routine. Instead of the regular bustle of everyday life where one’s day is already laid out before it even begins, one gets to take things into their own hands. Some smart ways to stay on track and keep busy include keeping lists or planners filled with activities that one might not have had time for before. On a day-to-day basis, creating a set routine can also help eradicate temptations and maximize productivity. Simple actions such as getting out of one’s pajamas and switching over from a bed to a desk can make a world of difference when focusing on a task at hand. It is important to note, however, that it is perfectly acceptable not to be productive. So much so that for many, lockdown is a singular opportunity to sit back, binge-watch Netflix TV Shows and spend more quality time with family.
Whether one is using 2020 to progress professionally or indulge in a moment of prolonged rest, what research concludes is that this reassessment period is unique for everyone. With a more informed understanding of what is going on in everyone’s minds during this hectic point in history, one can make conscious and long-lasting behavioral changes to one’s advantage. Nevertheless, it is crucial to remember that bad days, compulsions, and vices are not uncommon right now- or ever- and that even though no one is in the same boat, everyone is in the same sea. And when one makes it to land, what will one want to have accomplished or transmuted in the meanwhile?
Contributor, Guest. “The Art of Quarantine IV.” Princeton Info, Princetoninfo, 3 June 2020, princetoninfo.com/the-art-of-quarantine-iv/.
Ferguson, Donna. “Baking, Gardening, Crochet ... How the Lucky Ones Lived under Lockdown.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 21 June 2020, www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/21/baking-gardening-crochet-how-the-lucky-ones-lived-under-lockdown.
Matei, Adrienne. “Our Post-Pandemic Selves: Why the Virus Is an Opportunity to Grow and Develop.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 3 Apr. 2020, www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2020/apr/03/coronavirus-priorities-what-we-leave-behind.
Sample, Ian. “Shocking but True: Students Prefer Jolt of Pain to Being Made to Sit and Think.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 3 July 2014, www.theguardian.com/science/2014/jul/03/electric-shock-preferable-to-thinking-says-study.
says:, Stephen Hartley, et al. “Dopamine, Smartphones & You: A Battle for Your Time.” Science in the News, Harvard University- The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, 27 Feb. 2019, sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2018/dopamine-smartphones-battle-time/.
Webb, Jonathan. “Do People Choose Pain over Boredom?” BBC News, BBC, 4 July 2014, www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-28130690.
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