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Woman Can't Relate to Husband Being Total Opposite of 'iPad Kid'


3 days ago 11
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It's common knowledge that screen time and social media are ravaging our attention spans—but one man's way of weathering boredom is giving the internet pause.

Ashtyn Kingsbury's (@ashtynkingsbury) video of her husband waiting contentedly for a flight has gone viral on TikTok, drawing praise from viewers who want to appreciate the world offline. In it, her husband Connor sits in an airport with no digital distractions, looking peaceful as he observes his surroundings. Since posting on March 5, the video has received over 6 million views and 770,000 likes.

"My husband's green flag is that he's the opposite of an iPad kid. Completely raw-dogging a flight—no phone, music, movie. [Man] is simply content with existing at all times ever," Kingsbury captioned the video. "I unfortunately cannot relate."

A man sits waiting for a flight
A man waits for a flight with documents in hand. A woman on TikTok has gone viral for showing how her husband waits in the airport without any distraction, calling him the opposite of an... Nutthaseth Vanchaichana/Getty Images

Kingsbury's reference of the "iPad kid" nods to an internet term describing children who were raised with digital technology and now indulge in excessive screen-time. She offered more context about her husband in the comments, writing that he lives in a "constant state of zen"—and confirming that opposites do attract.

"I ask him 5,000 times a day what he's thinking about, and he says 'Nothing, I'm just breathing,'" she wrote. "We truly could not be more opposite."

Despite her inability to relate, many in the comments could. Those who couldn't still praised Kingsbury's husband for embracing quietness.

"The ability to be alone with your thoughts is shockingly rare," @userkxb3na64i4 wrote.

Some, from experience, said his comfort with being still may come from a busy internal monologue or being over-stimulated by his environment. "I have done this," @terrip8 said. "I also drive in dead silence sometimes. Sensory overload is real, and it can [be] relieving to just sit and be silent."

The Benefits of Tolerating Boredom

The ill effects of screen time on people's physical, psychological and social health have been well-studied.

A literary review on increased screen time published in the journal Cureus summarized that over-exposure to screens has intersecting detrimental effects on well-being. Excessive screen time can, among many things, exacerbate mental illness, lessen sleep quality and induce stress hormones. Symptoms of depression and even suicidal tendencies have been associated with dependence on devices, negative online content and the devices' overall impact on sleep quality.

The reason people rely on screens so much is sometimes to mitigate uncomfortable emotions. In places like long lines and airports, boredom is a common culprit.

Researchers studying boredom have come to interesting conclusions about the emotional state that is, ironically, often seen as an emotional absence to be filled with other things.

While it's proven that boredom is associated with several negative states—risk-taking behaviors, overeating and relational problems, to name a few—it is also a catalyst for important functions of well-being too.

"As an emotion, [boredom] is important for cognition, motivation and communication," authors wrote for the Journal of Boredom Studies. "Boredom is indicated to form a motivating/energizing force, a catalyst for action that 'pushes' one to seek for activity that seems meaningful or interesting, to engage in challenge-seeking behavior."

The authors wrote, in line with some viewers of Kingsbury's TikTok video, that boredom can act as a "defense mechanism" against too many stimuli. It can also prompt self-reflection and creativity.

These effects of embracing boredom are certainly balancing the scales of the more common negative connotations—and some online are embracing this wholeheartedly.

"I feel like slowly I'm becoming more like this, returning to the state I was as a child," @sophiabonomo commented on the video. "Every day is a new lens to look through. We miss out on so much development as adults and I'm excited for when I'm fully off my phone."

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

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