Boredom among Romanian children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Correlational study based on data from the international survey "Child well-being in Romania"
Boredom among Romanian children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Correlational study based on data from the international survey "Child well-being in Romania"

Summary/Abstract: Considered a 'silent emotion', boredom is not often seen as a topic worthy of study in terms of school problems faced by children. But is it really that quiet? We hear so often from students nowadays that they are bored, whether we are talking about school situations, time spent at home or even when they are in groups of friends. Based on a sample of over 1800 children in Romania during the pandemic period (2021), the present research was initiated by the interest to investigate boredom and its correlates among children. We conducted a secondary analysis of data collected through the international survey "Child well-being in Romania". The results of the present quantitative research indicated that boredom is significantly more common among 12-year-olds than among 10- and 11-year-olds and is more likely to be found among children who do not often engage in sports activities and those who frequently use social media. Also, contrary to our expectations, there seems to be no gender differences in boredom at this age. According to statistical analyses, children who experienced boredom during the pandemic also experienced feelings of sadness and stress (positive correlation). Several negative correlations emerged between boredom and others variables like: well-being, feelings of happiness, self-satisfaction and the idea of a positive future. The results of this study show that feelings of boredom certainly have to be considered in studies of children's problems.

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