#Smartphones

Many Thais worry about spending too much time glued to their smartphones, but a new perspective is gaining ground: perhaps constant phone use isn’t really about addiction, but a signal of deeper unmet emotional needs. Recent analysis and expert commentary, featured in VegOut Magazine on June 20, 2025, argue that it’s time to reframe our view of digital compulsion—not as a moral failing or clinical addiction, but as a reflection of seven core human needs going unfulfilled in daily life (VegOutMag.com).

A growing body of research is challenging our instinctive avoidance of boredom, suggesting that our constant efforts to escape it—especially through smartphones—may be undermining both our mental health and the potential for meaningful self-discovery. Recent findings discussed in The Guardian highlight the complexity of boredom’s role in the digital age and spark fresh debate on how Thai society should approach this underestimated emotion.

Thais, like people everywhere, live in an era saturated with digital distractions. Whether waiting in line at a food stall, riding the BTS Skytrain, or enduring a lull during classroom lectures, the reflex for many is to reach for a smartphone. The implications run deeper than wasted time: a new consensus among psychologists is that boredom, although often uncomfortable, serves an important function similar to hunger or loneliness by prompting us toward more engaging or meaningful pursuits.