To alleviate the boredom so often experienced by teenagers.

OVERVIEW

LEADER PREPARATION

• Using a video cassette recorder, record several brief clips from popular teenage programs that show teens involved in high adventure or costly activities. Put these together to show with whom teenagers often compare their lives. As an alternative, use magazine articles and pictures or refer to a current popular movie.
• A week before presenting this topic to your group, ask several young people to keep track of how often they are bored during the week. Select kids who you think will have varying degrees of boredom during the week (be careful not to put down a sensitive young person—use generally confident kids). Use this in the group buildup exercise below.
• Get a copy of the research abstract on boredom and look over the results before the group meets.

GROUP BUILDING

Ask the group to define boredom and come to some kind of consensus. Have the young people who tracked their boredom throughout the week stand or sit in front of the group, and encourage the group to guess how many times each one was bored during the week. Use this to lead into a short discussion of what really bores your group. Listen carefully because they may say things that can help you in future planning of youth group events.

GROUP PRESENTATION

• Show video clips or magazine articles to your group and ask them if these represent the typical teenager in your town. Ask them how the images shown are similar and different. Let them generate the idea that they are unfairly comparing their lives to those who are rich, famous, or lucky.
• Ask your kids to help you make a list of options of things to do when you are bored. Tell them you want to include it in the group’s next newsletter.
• Discover from the young people what other ways you can help them overcome "problem boredom." Keep in mind the community and the family in your discussion.

WRAP-UP

Boredom always causes one to view oneself in terms of either pity or creativity. A positive and realistic way to lessen the effect of boredom is to focus on the needs of other people in whose lives your young people can make a difference. Does your group reach out to the community? To third world missions? What gifts do your teenagers have? How can they be developed and used for the good of others?

EVALUATION

After finding a worthy project which teenagers could do on their own or with the group, ask them if their boredom has decreased. Ask the young people singled out at the beginning to comment on this.