Why It's Better to be Scared Than Bored

The word ‘bored’ has had an interesting time of late, hasn’t it? After Justin Tindall’s ill-advised comment about being “bored with diversity”, it has been uttered, muttered and guttered over the past week or two.

I feel sorry for ‘bored’. There are simply no positive manifestations of the word.

“I dumped Darren because he’s boring.”

“That party was boring.”

“I stopped going to interpretive street dance lessons with Colin Firth because they were boring.”

Even words like ‘shit’ don’t have it so bad. Things can be The Shit which, apparently, is a good thing. Who knew?

Then ‘scared’ became embroiled in bored’s bad week. Much like a father scolding a child and threatening them with the introduction of mum, ‘scared’ was introduced to Boredgate by Cindy Gallop.

"Advances in technology now mean a machine can “learn like a human”. Not a huge threat if it learns like I did. That really wouldn’t be much to shout about."

That isn’t fair. ‘Scared’ is a great word, and apt considering the time of the year. If you’re scared your heart is racing. You’re on the edge of your seat! I’ve never, not once, been on the edge of my seat bored, unless I was preparing to leave said seat and venture elsewhere.

Being bored and being scared are polar opposites. No one has ever been ‘bored scared’ or ‘scared bored’. Unless on a long-haul flight.

I do, however, find myself slightly scared of the advances of technology. Those advances that now allow a cloud to store all my secrets. Tedious secrets, but secrets nonetheless. Where once my hand-held device could contain no more than 10 text messages (imagine that, children, 10!) my new phone wields all the power in the known universe and beyond. Possibly. I don’t know. I’m too scared to go beyond the photo gallery and WhatsApp.

I lose all sense of perspective when Microsoft suggest I download the latest version of Word. What was wrong with the old Word? Don’t tell me they’ve replaced Century Gothic, I’ll set my head on fire if they have. 

"I’ve never, not once, been on the edge of my seat bored, unless I was preparing to leave said seat and venture elsewhere."

We at Kode have just been part of a huge VR campaign for Fanta. It is incredible and, coincidentally, scary. When I started working in the creative industry in 2005 I was, when briefs arrived at my production company, delivering DVDs by hand to agencies in New York. DVD’s! By hand! It’s archaic. Near enough Neolithic. That was a mere 12 years ago, and whilst my complexion and lung capacity remain undiminished, the creative industry is wholly unrecognisable. 

I’m sure there are many people who are scared of the future. A future which is blighted by insecurity and lies. By advances in technology that now mean a machine can “learn like a human”. Not a huge threat if it learns like I did. That really wouldn’t be much to shout about.

I suppose the trick is to surround yourself with people who aren’t afraid, and follow in their footsteps, embracing their enthusiasm as you might your partner’s arm whilst watching My Girl 2, because the truth is you only need to blink and you’re so far behind the curve it is a tiny dot on the horizon.