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MTV says Malaysian youths *yawn* the most bored
Published:  Oct 6, 2015 3:43 PM
Updated: 8:22 AM

Malaysian youths have been found to be the most bored in the world, edging out the UK, Singapore, and 23 other countries for the top spot.

According to a survey conducted by the entertainment company MTV, 83 percent of Malaysian youths have reported the highest levels of boredom compared to 79 percent in the UK and 78 percent in Singapore.

In contrast, youths in the Netherlands are reportedly the least bored at 49 percent, followed by Hungary (52 percent) and Indonesia (53 percent).

In a press release yesterday, MTV said nearly all (97 percent) of its 15,330 respondents have claimed to be afflicted by boredom, of whom almost a quarter of them experience on a daily basis.

Two-thirds of the youths who have reportedly experienced boredom claim to experience it on a weekly basis.

MTV said the results are surprising, given that the average teenager now has access to up to six connected devices.

“The results surprised us - given this generation’s access to technology and a seemingly limitless range of content, we thought boredom might barely exist for youth.

“Understanding our audience is critical to our business and insights like these reinforce the importance of cross-platform initiatives that unleash our audience’s creativity and inspire them by tapping into what they’re passionate about,” MTV international chief Kerry Taylor was quoted as saying in the statement.

The survey was conducted online between Dec 2 last year and Jan 13 this year, with respondents ranging from 12 to 24 years old.

'Would rather have acne'

In addition, 75 face-to-face interviews with youths were conducted in Amsterdam, Kuala Lumpur, London, Mexico City and Rome.

MTV added that the findings of the survey suggest that free time may be ‘breeding’ boredom and the wide array of content and social media choices available may be fuelling this phenomenon.

“Forty percent of those surveyed said mindlessly browsing the Internet was one of the most boring activities they undertook, more so than school (39 percent) and work (33 percent),” it said.

Sixty percent of respondents also reported that they resent being bored, so much so that 58 percent would rather be feeling anxious and 55 percent would rather have acne.

However, the respondents say that being bored is still preferable to feeling broke, failing or being embarrassed.

On the flip side, 95 percent of respondents say that they are least bored when they are with friends.

Personality traits such as creativity, curiosity and passion are also identified as valuable traits for stopping boredom

Nevertheless, media consumption and entertainment remains the first choice of the youths in alleviating boredom.

This comprises of activities such as listening to music, watching movies, browsing social media, watching YouTube and entertainment television.

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