“I’m Bored!” The psychology behind summer boredom

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 York U boredom expert available to talk about why some are afraid to be bored 

TORONTO, July 8, 2019 – York University Professor John Eastwood spends time in his lab boring people. While some parents fear boredom during summer months, Eastwood immerses himself in it. He studies why some people are more prone to boredom and what happens in the brain when we’re feeling bored.

In his Boredom Lab at York University’s Faculty of Health, Eastwood looks at what causes boredom and its impact on behaviour and health.

John Eastwood is a clinical psychologist and associate professor of clinical psychology at York University. Eastwood’s research looks at how emotion and attention processes interact and how a person’s emotional state impacts attention processes – with a focus on boredom.

He is available to speak about:

  • What causes boredom?
  • Why are some people more prone to boredom?
  • Is there a difference between men and women?
  • What may be going on in your child’s mind when he or she is bored
  • What parents can do to reduce boredom
  • How to respond when boredom strikes
  • Why boredom may not always inspire creativity
  • How boredom can play a role in problem behaviour and mental health

York University champions new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-disciplinary programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. York students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world’s most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. York U is an internationally recognized research university – our 11 faculties and 25 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, York is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni. York U's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

Media Contact:  Anjum Nayyar, York University Media Relations, 416 736 2100 ext. 44543 anayyar@yorku.ca