Can you put your phone down for six to 15 minutes? Or would you rather be shocked?
New research shows that men in particular would rather do an activity, such as listening to music or fiddling with a smartphone, than sitting alone in a room. What’s more, they’d rather give themselves mild electric shocks than be alone with their thoughts.
Different age groups. Different walks of life. Most of them couldn’t stand to just sit there alone, thinking, because it was too hard to concentrate.
The researchers reported that men tended to shock themselves more than the women, with 67% of the men hitting the button to administer the mild shocks compared to 25% of the women.
As a mother and soccer coach of boys, I see this as beginning to understanding:
- Why the boys in my sons’ kindergarten classes squirmed like popcorn kernels about to blow open whenever they were told to sit and listen.
- Why five minutes into any huddle to go over soccer theory, half the boys on my soccer team would start juggling balls and the other half would try to steal the balls away.
- How come I have actually had to shout the words, “Where are you going with that duct tape and rope?’
- Why my teenaged boys tend to stop listening to me around the verb, which means they miss what follows, “I’m going….” They might want to consider listening, whether it’s, “I’m going…to the store. Need anything?” Or it’s, “I’m going…to lop your head off with a ball-peen hammer.” What comes after the verb can indeed be important.
- The data usage on my family’s cell phone bill, which mostly supports iFunny downloads.
- Xbox, ESPN, and firecrackers.
- Why yoga and mindfulness-type classes tend to be overwhelmingly female.
- “Jackass”
The fact that males would rather shock themselves than sit alone with their thoughts? Well, it’s really not that shocking at all. See for yourself:
Would You Electric Shock Yourself Out of Loneliness? | Video.
