Abstract
This study investigates the evolution of boredom across generations and its implications for governance in the digital age. Drawing on cross-generational data from a Nigerian university community, the research examines how digital platform architectures have transformed boredom from a space of reflection and creativity into a trigger for immediate digital escape. The study employs a mixed-methods design, combining qualitative interviews with older generations (Baby Boomers, Gen X, and Millennials) and quantitative surveys with younger cohorts (Gen Z and Gen Alpha) to document generational differences in boredom tolerance, solitude capacity, and responses to digital stimuli. Preliminary findings from over 100 Gen Z respondents reveal that the default response to boredom is overwhelmingly digital consumption, while older generations report greater capacity for reflection and daydreaming. The study argues that the erosion of boredom tolerance reflects a form of platform power over society that existing regulatory frameworks have neglected (Graef & Bostoen, 2025). By reframing boredom and attention as governance variables, the research contributes empirical evidence to the emerging field of attention governance and offers policy recommendations for human-centered digital regulation. The findings have implications for administrative burden, platform accountability, and the design of cognitively accessible public services in Nigeria and beyond.
Keywords: boredom, human attention, digital governance, platform regulation, generational differences, Nigeria