Can social media induce boredom? An experimental investigation of social media, state boredom and creative task engagement

Author

• Mustabshirah TaqdeesFollow

Degree

BS (Social Sciences & Liberal Arts)

Faculty / School

School of Economics and Social Sciences (SESS)

Department

Department of Social Sciences & Liberal Arts

Date of Award

Spring 2026

Date of Submission

2026-07-15

Advisor

Dr. Ayesha Zia, Assistant Professor, Department of Social Sciences

Committee

Ms. Hajra Rehman, Lecturer, Department of Social Sciences

Project Type

SSLA Culminating Experience

Access Type

Restricted Access

Keywords

social media use, boredom, social media induced boredom, creativity, short-form content

Abstract

Boredom, a pervasive experience shaped by attention and meaning, has become entangled with social media in the digital age. Recent research has placed boredom not only as a precedent to, but also a result of, social media use. Additionally, boredom research has closely studied the role of creativity in reducing boredom. The present study aimed to test connections between these three constructs.

It examined whether exposure to fragmented, algorithmically curated short-form content can cause social media induced boredom, and whether this boredom can be reduced through creative task engagement. 58 undergraduate participants were randomly assigned to two groups: an experimental group viewed social media content, while a control group watched a coherent long-form lecture. Differences in state boredom were measured using the MSBS-15, and creativity was assessed via the Alternate Uses Task.

Contrary to predictions, social media use did not significantly increase boredom relative to the control condition, nor did the creative task differentially reduce boredom across groups; results in several cases ran counter to the hypothesized direction. These null findings are discussed in relation to distinctions between problematic and non-problematic media use, superficial versus profound boredom, and methodological limitations including sample size and single-session exposure, offering a more nuanced perspective on when social media–induced boredom might foster creativity.

Pages

59

Recommended Citation

Taqdees, M. (2026). Can social media induce boredom? An experimental investigation of social media, state boredom and creative task engagement (Unpublished undergraduate project). Institute of Business Administration, Pakistan. Retrieved from https://ir.iba.edu.pk/sslace/433