Boredom is an emotional and mental state that most people experience at some time in their lives. The dictionary definition of boredom is ‘the state of being weary and restless through lack of interest’ though this description belittles the complexities, issues and consequences for individuals that suffer with boredom and are unable to overcome it.

Avoiding boredom is not a trivial matter. People who are predisposed to boredom are more likely to suffer from ills such as depression and drug addiction. Other effects include sufferers to be socially awkward and poor performers at school or work. Getting at the origins of boredom may lead to ways to prevent and treat such pathologies and detrimental behaviors. Other definitions actually place the blame of boredom on the individual with the rather harsh interpretation being seen as it being a chosen state of mind brought on by laziness and the firm belief that others are in charge of the so supposedly afflicted person's own entertainment.
Boredom is considered to be a very negative emotion in today’s society which is ironic as many believe that boredom is a natural consequence to the society that we live in. In today’s western world very few of us have to struggle to survive, in fact most of our needs are taken care off. If this is the case, where we have better health, better financial security and a multitude of distractions on offer, why does boredom still pervade our society and culture?