“Interesting
Fact: There’s a Yawning Need for Boring Professors” by Rachel Emma Silverman
Scientists
that study boredom sounds like a made up profession but it turns out that there
are researchers who do just that, and they have an actual purpose. While “boredom studies” may seem trivial in
comparison to, say, searching for the cure for cancer, they do hold some value
as there may be some truth to the common expression “bored to death.” People
who are prone to boredom are more than twice as likely to die of heart disease than
those who aren’t, not to mention the other detrimental effects of boredom like
depression, overeating, and substance abuse. To study boredom, scientists have
to first try and bore their subjects, then ask about their reactions and
feelings. Some tasks that researchers
have test subjects do include doing repetitive tasks (like tracing circles or
searching for a letter over and over again in a passage). Some of the most commonly used tools are
videos of boring things. One such video described
in this article shows a family hanging laundry (because apparently a video of
someone mowing the lawn was too amusing for test subjects!). In some recent
studies, the effects of boredom and sadness have been compared. Other times,
scientists are looking more at how
people experience and deal with boredom.
For
full time students sitting in school for more than six hours a day can be
boring for every student at some point no matter who they are and how much they
love the class. This article offered some solutions to remain alert and prevent
boredom like focusing on the more meaningful purpose of an activity, taking a
break for physical activity, or even fidgeting and doodling.
I
thought that this article included some humorous anecdotes (that prevented the
reader from being bored) like the Boring Conference in East London. I also
thought it was interesting that the author made sure the article was current by
incorporating the fact that people nowadays resort to their phones and other
electronic devices when they are bored but that these games are equally (if not
more) mind-numbing and are perhaps more detrimental because they cut people off
from their surroundings.
I thought Elizabeth’s review of “ Interesting Fact: There’s a Yawning Need for Boring Professors” was very informative and interesting. One thing I really liked about the review is the fact that it included a lot of new and interesting information. Prior to reading this review I did not think there were scientists who study boredom. I thought it was very surprising that people who are prone to boredom are more than twice as likely to die of heart disease than those who aren’t, not to mention other detrimental effects of boredom like depression, overeating and substance abuse. Elizabeth nicely summarized the information and presented the reader with the interesting and important information. I also thought that this was a very good article choice since it is a very peculiar topic, which made it very interesting. It also was good since we are in school five days a week and at times it can get boring so learning that there are scientists who study boredom is very interesting.
ReplyDeleteI thought the review could have mentioned more about the studies from the article since they were very interesting. I also think that the review could have included more information about boredom and what scientists think about it.
This article was very interesting since while at school it is very easy to get bored. Reading this review was not boring since it was on a topic relating to my life.
Elizabeth’s review of “Interesting Fact: There’s a Yawning Need for Boring Professors” was focused upon an (ironically) interesting topic, a well-written summary, and a solid connection to our lives as high school students. The topic is something that you would not realize is even in existence: studying boredom? Huh? But because she chose it, Elizabeth stood out and made her review creative and unique. Her summary was concise and included all of the aspects of the boredom studies that were mentioned in the article. She mentioned how boredom connects to substance abuse, overeating, and other serious problems that can, indirectly, make a common colloquial phrase, “He/She was bored to death,” a reality. She also explained the procedure that the boredom scientists followed, both generally and specifically. Finally, Elizabeth presented a very relevant connection to our society, as she wrote of the boredom of students in school (but not AP Biology, of course), as well of the solution to the issue.
ReplyDeleteThe review could have been made better if Elizabeth connected the article not only to our lives, but AP Biology class specifically. Though the article did not mention any biological causes of boredom, Elizabeth could have applied what we have learned in class to the situation. Also, Elizabeth could have used as more sophisticated vocabulary in her review. Synonyms for the words “boring” and “boredom,” as well as technical terms, would have improved the quality of the article.
Finally, I was impressed by the intensity of these boredom studies, as well as the simple methods that the scientists use to bore their subjects. Boredom seems like such a simple thing, but it seems that there are many interesting sides to it and that, in the end, it may ultimately be a useful state of mind, if the studies are successful.
Elizabeth’s review of, “Interesting Fact: There’s a Yawning Need for Boring Professors” was very well done, as she chose an interesting article and was able to efficiently summarize the article in a concise manner, all while providing her own insights when possible. First of all, I found Elizabeth’s use of a statistic to describe the dangers associated with boredom to be very well thought out. The addition of the detail that stated that those who are prone to boredom are more than twice as likely to die of heart disease than those who aren’t was quite shocking to me. Who knew that something like boredom plays a role in such a thing! I also appreciated the way she included other ill-effects that those who are prone to boredom experience, such as depression, overeating, and substance abuse. I was shocked to hear such a thing, but it does seem to make sense. Finally, I really appreciated Elizabeth’s willingness to provide her own opinion within the summary and inject some humor into it as well.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the review was, in fact, quite well done, there were a couple of things upon which Elizabeth could have improved. First of all, I would liked to have learn more about what scientists are trying to learn specifically through their study of boredom. Also, Elizabeth mentioned that the article provided some solutions to fight boredom; however, I would have liked to see a greater explanation, as it is something that all students must fight through.
As a high school student, I find myself often experiencing extreme boredom in school. As a result, I often have a hard time concentrating and have to work extra hard at home to make up for the time I lose in class. This article was very interesting to me, as it is good to know boredom is being studied extensively, and I hope to hear more about the studies in the future.
AP Biology Petey DeJoy
ReplyDeleteComment Review 3/7/13
Elizabeth did a great job with her review of this article. There were a few aspects of the review that were particularly well presented. First, she did a fantastic job with avoiding irony and entertaining the reader and keeping them from getting bored, which is what the article about. Second, she did a good job with identifying how they perform tests on patients by boring them, either by making them draw circles over and over again or something like that. Third, she did a good job with tying it into our lives as students, as we are often bored in class. She could have done a few things better, however. First, she could have provided more solutions to the problem of boredom, rather than just a small sentence explaining how physical activity can help. Second, I feel as if the focus of the article and its purpose were not clearly identified. From this review, I learned that you can test on subjects by making them watch a video of people doing laundry to bore them.
Elizabeth McGough did a very good job reviewing the Wall Street Journal article, “Interesting Fact: There’s a Yawning Need for Boring Professor,” by Rachel Emma Silverman. At first, I, like Elizabeth, found it strange to learn that there are professors that study boredom. Elizabeth did a very good job, though, outlining the key points from the article in her summary. The real article rambled on at points too much, especially with unimportant information, such as all the different things professors did to make their test subjects bored, but Elizabeth’s review was very concise. Also, I found it interesting how Elizabeth connected this article to the real world. The ideas to prevent boredom she took from the article were good tips. Finally, I liked how she added all the facts about how the article kept this rather boring topic funny. In doing this, she made her review also much more enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth had a nice review, but there were a few things that she could have done to make it even better. First off, I believe that adding quotes from the article always help to improve reviews, for it is nice to see what the professors and author think first-hand of the subject. Reviews are helpful, but direct information is even more insightful. Also, although I liked Elizabeth’s connection to our school lives, it would have been useful for her to make a bigger connection to the world. The scientists mentioned that they believed this field could make a huge impact on the world, for, as the article says, “…boredom has serious consequences for health and productivity, they say, linked to depression, overeating, substance abuse, gambling and even mortality.”
Overall, this article and its review were interesting to read, but I found that this article had too little hard data to be of any real impact. Although the author says that boredom can lead to people literally “dying of boredom,” the lack of real scientific data makes it hard to take real interest in the study. It would have been more exciting to learn about a biological discovery being made in this field. To me, it seems as if there is no real data being made by the professors.
Elizabeth’s choice of article was a great choice to begin with, and her summary was excellent. I really enjoyed that Elizabeth made her summary very concise compared to the article, as the point of the article is very straightforward. Another thing Elizabeth did well was include the experiments scientists do to induce boredom, which we then observe. I also appreciated the way that Elizabeth related boredom and this study to us as students considering this is probably the most relevant subject. Saying this, I think Elizabeth could have gone into more detail about how the scientists are using these studies to “cure” boredom, as at some point boredom can become dangerous. Secondly, I think Elizabeth could have also related this article on a world scale as it is being applied world wide. My favorite part of this article is the topic. The fact that boredom is being study is so fascinating as I always just thought it was a function of the mind, almost a natural instinct, like breathing. The fact that scientists can possibly find a way to cure this is fascinating and makes me believe the human mind can be even more efficient than it currently is.
ReplyDeleteAlexis Petnuch
ReplyDeleteElizabeth’s review of the article of “Interesting Fact: There’s a Yawning Need for Boring Professors” was interesting and included important details. It was good of Elizabeth to mention facts in the article like people who are prone to boredom are more than twice as likely to die of heart disease than those who are not. Also, Elizabeth mentioned the types of studies boredom scientists have to do in order to conduct studies on boredom, like having participants trace circles or watch uninteresting videos. Elizabeth also mentions a type of video used to bore participants in a particular study; the video of a family hanging laundry.
Elizabeth’s review was well presented, but could have mentioned a few things. She could have included specific studies being taken as to why scientists are studying boredom, such as the study conducted in Canada by Dr.Danckert comparing the physiological effects of sadness and boredom. It would also have been beneficial to mention that scientists are still working to understand boredom’s effects on the brain.
This article was particularly interesting, as I had not really ever thought about what causes boredom and how it could seriously affect a person’s life. Who would have thought that if you experience constant boredom you are potentially at risk for dying from heart disease? Also, I hadn’t really thought about how lack of productivity and boredom could lead to overeating, substance abuse, gambling and mortality. I guess it makes sense though: you tend to spend money and eat when you are bored. Overall, this article was pretty good.