Are We Bored Yet? A Lifespan Perspective on the MAC Model of Boredom and Cognitive Engagement

Why do kids get bored? Does life get more interesting as we age? What boredom tells us and why changes across the lifespan, but its fundamental message remains the same: what you’re doing right now isn’t working. According to the MAC model, people become bored when they are unwilling or unable to focus on what they are doing. I explore theoretical predictions for how these deficits in meaning and attention manifest across the lifespan, particularly for children and adolescents, and the special challenges faced by older adults in the case of retirement and Alzheimer's disease (and other forms of dementia).