人们为何会觉得越来越无聊呢？为什么越刷短视频越空虚？
🤔️小作业：
1. According to the article, how has digital media altered our expectations for entertainment?
A) It has made people more interested in educational content.
B) It has decreased the overall quality of digital content.
C) It has raised the threshold for what is considered stimulating.
D) It has increased our appreciation for traditional activities.
A) Use multiple devices to increase engagement.
B) Avoid social media entirely to reduce boredom.
C) Opt for longer and more focused content.
D) Prioritize educational videos over entertainment.
无注释原文：
Here's the big reason why you're probably feeling bored all the time
From: Upworthy
How can anyone feel bored in a world with social media, streaming movies, TV shows on-demand and the ability to download just about every book in the world? It may sound paradoxical, but according to a study published in Communications Psychology by Katy Y.Y. Tam and Michael Inzlicht, digital media makes us more bored.
Studies show that since 2010, the amount of time people report feeling bored has increased dramatically and the trend has intensified over the years. Interestingly, people began reporting greater levels of boredom shortly after we all started using social media on our new smartphones.
Why am I bored all the time?
According to researchers, here's what's happening. Given that we have access to entertainment whenever we like, the bar for what we consider entertaining or stimulating has increased. It's like when someone is an addict and they keep needing more and more of the same substance to get the high they crave.
Further, when we engage in less stimulating activities, such as reading a book or attending a class, we feel even more bored than before the digital revolution because we have become accustomed to heightened levels of stimulation.
Another reason flipping through TikTok leaves you feeling bored and listless is that digital media fragments our attention, making it hard to focus on the activity at hand. We quickly switch between videos and activities, our phones pulse and beep with notifications, and texts pop up on the screen, so it's hard to engage with the content deeply. Also, knowing that we can be distracted at any moment makes it harder to focus. “Digital devices intensify boredom by disrupting attention,” the researchers explain.
“Digital media increases boredom through dividing attention, elevating desired levels of engagement, reducing a sense of meaning, and serving as an ineffective boredom coping strategy,” Tam and Inzlicht argue in their paper.
These findings are supported by a report from the Netherlands' Radboud University, which recently found that “phone usage wasn't an effective method to alleviate boredom and fatigue and even made these feelings worse in many cases.”
As we pointed out with the Dorito Theory a while back, sometimes experiences that aren't fulfilling can still be maximally addictive. As we scroll and scroll and scroll, trying to come across something that cures our boredom, it's time to ask ourselves how we feel after the experience. Did logging in deliver the experience we thought we'd get? Or, did the frantic search for content keep us occupied until the boredom crept in again?
Tam says that we can have more meaningful and less boring experiences with digital media if we find longer-form content that we can immerse ourselves in. However, this may prove more complicated than years ago, as our attention spans are much shorter.
“If people want a more enjoyable experience when watching videos, they can try to stay focused on the content and minimize digital switching. Like paying for a more immersive experience in a movie theater, more enjoyment comes from immersing oneself in online videos rather than swiping through them,” Tam writes.
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注：完整题目见本文开头；中文文本为机器翻译并非一一对应，仅供参考
含注释全文：
Here's the big reason why you're probably feeling bored all the time
From: Upworthy
How can anyone feel bored in a world with social media, streaming movies, TV shows on-demand and the ability to download just about every book in the world? It may sound paradoxical, but according to a study published in Communications Psychology by Katy Y.Y. Tam and Michael Inzlicht, digital media makes us more bored.
在这个社交媒体盛行、电影和电视节目可以随时点播、几乎所有书籍都能下载的时代，怎么还会有人觉得无聊呢？这听起来似乎有些矛盾，但凯蒂·塔姆（Katy Y.Y. Tam）和迈克尔·英兹利希特（Michael Inzlicht）发表在《传播心理学》上的研究指出，数字媒体实际上增加了我们的无聊感。
on-demand
on-demand /ˌɒn.dɪˈmɑːnd/ 作名词，表示“视频点播服务”，英文解释为“a service for watching films or TV programmes at any time”举个🌰：Cable customers pay an extra $6.95 a month for on-demand. 有线电视用户每月多交6.95美元可获得视频点播服务。
作形容词，表示“应顾客要求即可提供的，随选的”，英文解释为“available when a customer wants or asks for something”举个🌰：They will sell a voice recognition product as an add-on, on-demand service for their users. 他们会将一个语音识别系统作为附加的随选服务提供给用户。
paradoxical
paradoxical /ˌpærəˈdɒksɪkəl/ 表示“自相矛盾的”，英文解释为“If something is paradoxical, it involves two facts or qualities that seem to contradict each other.”举个🌰：Some sedatives produce the paradoxical effect of making the person more anxious. 一些镇静剂产生出使人更紧张这样自相矛盾的结果。
📍《经济学人》（The Economist）一篇讲述股市的文章中用到了副词形式：Paradoxically, positive sentiment is often seen as a reason to be wary, and that investors have got ahead of themselves. 不过矛盾的是，乐观情绪也常被视为需要保持警惕的原因，而投资者已经操之过急了。
Studies show that since 2010, the amount of time people report feeling bored has increased dramatically and the trend has intensified over the years. Interestingly, people began reporting greater levels of boredom shortly after we all started using social media on our new smartphones.
研究表明，自2010年以来，人们觉得自己无聊的时间急剧增加，而且这一趋势逐年加剧。有趣的是，人们开始感到越来越无聊的时间点，正是我们所有人都开始在新手机上使用社交媒体之后不久。
intensify
intensify /ɪnˈten.sɪ.faɪ/ 作动词，表示“加强，增强；强化”，英文解释为“to become greater, more serious, or more extreme, or to make something do this”举个🌰：I jump, intensifying the pain in all my muscles. 我跳起来，浑身的肌肉更加疼痛了。
Why am I bored all the time? 那么，我们为何会觉得无聊？
According to researchers, here's what's happening. Given that we have access to entertainment whenever we like, the bar for what we consider entertaining or stimulating has increased. It's like when someone is an addict and they keep needing more and more of the same substance to get the high they crave.
研究人员认为，由于我们随时可以接触到各种娱乐内容，因此我们对“娱乐性或刺激性事物”的标准提高了。这就好比一个人上瘾了，他们需要越来越多的相同物质才能获得他们渴望的快感。
bar
作名词，表示“条状物”，英文解释为“a substance that has been made into a solid rectangular shape”如：a bar of soap 一块肥皂，a chocolate bar 一条巧克力棒。
作动词，表示“禁止，阻止”，英文解释为“If someone is barred from a place or from doing something, they are officially forbidden to go there or to do it.”举个🌰：The players are barred from drinking alcohol the night before a match. 运动员在参赛前夜不得喝酒。
🎬电影《逆转王牌》（Runner Runner）中的台词提到：He said I'd be barred from re-entering the country.他说我下次回国时会被禁止入境。
📍set the bar high/low = put the bar high/low 表示设定高/低标准、高/低要求（to set a high/low standard for something）
stimulating
1）表示“（物）有启发性的；趣味盎然的；激励人的；振奋人心的”，英文解释为“full of interesting or exciting ideas; making people feel enthusiastic”如：a stimulating discussion 饶有趣味的讨论/具有启发性的讨论。
2）表示“增加活力的；增进健康的”，英文解释为“making you feel more active and healthy”如：shower gel containing plant extracts that have a stimulating effect on the skin 含有对皮肤有益的植物精华的沐浴凝胶。
crave
作动词，表示“渴望（得到）；热望”，英文解释为“to have a very strong desire for sth”举个🌰：She has always craved excitement. 她总渴望刺激。
🎬电影《雷神》（Thor）中的台词提到：You long for battle. You crave it. 你期待战争 你渴望它。
Further, when we engage in less stimulating activities, such as reading a book or attending a class, we feel even more bored than before the digital revolution because we have become accustomed to heightened levels of stimulation.
此外，当我们参与刺激性较低的活动时，比如看书或上课，由于习惯了高强度的刺激，反而比数字革命前更容易感到乏味。
accustomed
accustomed /əˈkʌs.təmd/ 表示“习惯的；适应了的”，英文解释为“familiar with something”举个🌰：She quickly became accustomed to his messy ways. 她很快就习惯了他的邋遢作风。
Another reason flipping through TikTok leaves you feeling bored and listless is that digital media fragments our attention, making it hard to focus on the activity at hand. We quickly switch between videos and activities, our phones pulse and beep with notifications, and texts pop up on the screen, so it's hard to engage with the content deeply. Also, knowing that we can be distracted at any moment makes it harder to focus. “Digital devices intensify boredom by disrupting attention,” the researchers explain.
刷短视频让你感到无聊和空虚的另一个原因是，数字媒体分散了我们的注意力，使我们难以专注于手头活动。我们在短视频和手头活动之间快速切换，手机提醒不断，屏幕上消息接连弹出，因此很难做到深度投入。此外，意识到自己随时可能分心，也让我们更难集中注意力。研究人员解释说：“数字设备会干扰注意力，从而加剧无聊感。”
flip
flip /flɪp/ 1）表示“投掷（尤指硬币）”，英文解释为“If you flip something, especially a coin, you use your thumb to make it turn over and over, as it goes through the air.”举个🌰：I pulled a coin from my pocket and flipped it. 我从口袋里掏出一枚硬币，把它投掷出去。
2）表示“翻动，转动”，英文解释为“If something flips over, or if you flip it over or into a different position, it moves or is moved into a different position.”举个🌰：The plane then flipped over and burst into flames. 这时飞机翻了个个儿，接着就燃烧了起来。
📍flip through sth表示“快速浏览；草草翻阅”，英文解释为“to look quickly at the pages of a magazine, book, etc.”
listless
listless /ˈlɪst.ləs/ 表示“懈怠的，懒散的，无精打采的”，英文解释为“having no energy and enthusiasm and unwilling to do anything needing effort”举个🌰：He's seemed listless and a little depressed ever since he got his exam results. 自从得知自己的考试分数后他就一直无精打采，心情也有些低落。
fragment
fragment /ˈfræɡ.mənt/ 作名词，表示“小片，小块；（尤指）碎片，碎块”，英文解释为“a small piece or a part, especially when broken from something whole”举个🌰：The road was covered with fragments of glass from the shattered window. 公路上到处是车窗的碎玻璃片。
作动词，表示“（使）支离破碎；打碎；（使）分裂”，英文解释为“to break something into small parts or to be broken up in this way”举个🌰：His day was fragmented by meetings and phone calls. 他一天的时间因为各种会议和电话而变得支离破碎。
pulse
pulse /pʌls/ 作名词，1）表示“脉搏”，英文解释为“the regular beating of the heart, especially when it is felt at the wrist or side of the neck”举个🌰：The child's pulse was strong/weak. 那个孩子的脉搏很有力/虚弱。
2）表示“（声波或光波的）脉冲”，英文解释为“a short period of energy that is repeated regularly, such as a short, loud sound or a short flash of light”举个🌰：The data, normally transmitted electronically, can be changed into pulses of light. 这一数据通常是电子传送的，现在可被改为光波脉冲。
作动词，表示“（以规律且强有力的节拍）跳动，搏动，振动”，英文解释为“to move or beat with a strong, regular rhythm”举个🌰：I could feel the blood pulsing through my veins. 我能感觉到血液在我的血管里翻腾。
📍在这里，pulse指的是手机发出提示信息的短暂振动或闪烁。可以理解为“手机震动”或“手机闪烁提示”，通常表示设备在收到消息或通知时的轻微震动或视觉提示，这种提示会打断用户的注意力。
beep
beep /biːp/ 作名词，表示“嘟嘟声；滴滴声”，英文解释为“a short, loud sound”举个🌰：The voice on the answering machine said "Please leave a message after the beep". 录音电话中有一个声音说“请在嘟声之后留言”。
作动词，表示“（使）发出嘟嘟（或滴滴）的声音”，英文解释为“(to cause) to make a short, loud sound”举个🌰：The cab driver beeped (his horn) impatiently at the cyclist. 出租车司机不耐烦地向骑车的人嘟嘟按喇叭。
“Digital media increases boredom through dividing attention, elevating desired levels of engagement, reducing a sense of meaning, and serving as an ineffective boredom coping strategy,” Tam and Inzlicht argue in their paper.
塔姆和英兹利希特在他们的论文中指出：“数字媒体通过分散注意力、提升对参与感的预期、降低意义感，同时作为一种无效的无聊应对手段，最终加剧了无聊感。”
elevate
elevate /ˈel.ɪ.veɪt/ 1）表示“抬高；提高；使上升；举起”，英文解释为“to raise something or lift something up”
2）表示“提升；提高；改进”，英文解释为“to make someone or something more important or to improve something”举个🌰：They want to elevate the status of teachers. 他们想提高教师的社会地位。
These findings are supported by a report from the Netherlands' Radboud University, which recently found that “phone usage wasn't an effective method to alleviate boredom and fatigue and even made these feelings worse in many cases.”
这一研究得到了荷兰拉德布德大学（Radboud University）最新报告的佐证。报告指出，“使用手机并不能有效缓解无聊和疲劳感，反而在很多情况下加重这些情绪。”
alleviate
alleviate /əˈliː.vi.eɪt/ 表示“减轻；缓和，缓解”，英文解释为“to make something bad such as pain or problems less severe”举个🌰：The drugs did nothing to alleviate her pain/suffering. 这些药物对减轻她的病痛/痛苦没有丝毫作用。
📍产业扶贫 alleviate poverty through the development of local industries；生态扶贫 alleviate poverty through the development and conservation of local ecological resources；
fatigue
fatigue /fəˈtiːɡ/ 表示“疲劳；劳累”，英文解释为“a feeling of being extremely tired, usually because of hard work or exercise”如：physical and mental fatigue 身体和精神的疲劳。
As we pointed out with the Dorito Theory a while back, sometimes experiences that aren't fulfilling can still be maximally addictive. As we scroll and scroll and scroll, trying to come across something that cures our boredom, it's time to ask ourselves how we feel after the experience. Did logging in deliver the experience we thought we'd get? Or, did the frantic search for content keep us occupied until the boredom crept in again?
正如我们不久前提出的“多利多理论”（Dorito Theory）所指出的那样，有时并不令人满足的体验也会让人上瘾。当我们不停地滑动屏幕，试图找到一些能消除无聊感的内容时，不妨问问自己，这种体验是否真的满足了我们的期望？还是说，我们仅仅在内容的洪流中迷失，直到无聊感再次袭来？
scroll
作名词，scroll /skrəʊl/ 表示“长卷纸，卷轴”，英文解释为“a long roll of paper or similar material with usually official writing on it”举个🌰：The ancient Egyptians stored information on scrolls. 古埃及人把信息记载在卷轴上。
作动词，表示“滚动；滚屏”，英文解释为“to move text or other information on a computer screen in order to see a different part of it”举个🌰：Scroll to the end of the document. 滚动至文件的最后。
🎬电影《兔子洞》（Rabbit Hole）中的台词提到：Scroll down with your finger. 用手指向下滑动。
frantic
frantic /ˈfræntɪk/ 1）表示“（因恐惧或忧虑而）发狂似的，情绪失控的”，英文解释为“If you are frantic, you are behaving in a wild and uncontrolled way because you are frightened or worried.”举个🌰：A bird had been locked in and was by now quite frantic. 一只鸟被关了起来，到现在它都非常狂躁。
2）表示“紧张忙乱的”，英文解释为“If an activity is frantic, things are done quickly and in an energetic but disorganized way, because there is very little time.”举个🌰：A busy night in the restaurant can be frantic in the kitchen. 晚上餐馆生意繁忙，厨房可能就会忙作一团了。
creep in
creep in/creep into sth 1）表示“（错误）不知不觉地存在，无法避免地出现”，英文解释为“If mistakes creep in or creep into a piece of text, they are included despite efforts not to include them.”举个🌰：A few mistakes always creep in during the editing process. 在编辑过程中总会不小心出几个错。
2）表示“逐渐显现；逐渐引起注意”，英文解释为“to gradually start to be noticeable”举个🌰：Doubts began to creep into my mind about the likely success of the project. 我逐渐对这项计划成功的可能性产生了怀疑。
Tam says that we can have more meaningful and less boring experiences with digital media if we find longer-form content that we can immerse ourselves in. However, this may prove more complicated than years ago, as our attention spans are much shorter.
塔姆表示，如果我们能找到让自己沉浸其中的长篇内容，我们就能在数字媒体上获得更有意义、不那么无聊的体验。然而，由于我们现在的注意力更容易分散，这比以往更具挑战性。
immerse
immerse /ɪˈmɜːs/ yourself in sth 表示“（使）深陷于，沉浸在”，英文解释为“to become or make sb completely involved in sth”举个🌰：She immersed herself in her work. 她埋头工作。
“If people want a more enjoyable experience when watching videos, they can try to stay focused on the content and minimize digital switching. Like paying for a more immersive experience in a movie theater, more enjoyment comes from immersing oneself in online videos rather than swiping through them,” Tam writes.
“如果人们想在观看视频时获得更愉悦的体验，可以尝试将注意力集中在内容上，减少频繁切换的行为。就像在电影院里花钱获得更身临其境的体验一样，沉浸在网络视频中而不是快速滑动，会带来更多的乐趣，”塔姆写道。
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