Have you ever found yourself immersed in something totally mundane, like watching road workers fill in a pot hole or buses drive in and out of the bus stop? Chances are you have, which means you know that certain seemingly uninteresting things can be surprisingly captivating at times. That’s probably the reason why the ‘Not Interesting’ subreddit has over 950k members eagerly waiting for new completely-not-interesting-but-somehow-still-interesting content.
Today, we have put some examples of such mundane-looking content on this list for you to browse, covering everything from pictures of people making their beds to information you didn’t know you were interested in knowing; cause you probably weren’t. Scroll down to find the examples below and see if you can figure out what draws us to browsing this type of content.
Below you will also find Bored Panda’s interview with Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the Department of Psychology at University of Waterloo, Dr. James Danckert, who was kind enough to answer a few of our questions on why we tend to be captivated by the humdrum.
#1 This Is What A Human Hand Looks Like Under The Microscope
Image credits: _hamzaumer
#2 Yay
Image credits: forwardsqualid
#3 Two Guys With A Banner
Image credits: LordCheerios
It’s difficult to explain why we browse the things we do sometimes. Sure, certain topics are clearly more interesting than others depending on personal preferences, which means we might spend hours on end learning about how to fix bikes or watching fashion bloggers discuss the latest trends, just to give a couple examples.
But sometimes, even if we start with bikes and fashion, we might end up scrolling through things that are completely unrelated or, quite frankly, not interesting. Yet, we choose to continue scrolling nevertheless and focus on what’s happening on the screen.
#4 I Took A Picture Of Myself Everyday For One Day
Image credits: DaRealBigMac06
#5 Accidentally Wrote The Most Perfect Number “5” I’ve Ever Written During Work
Image credits: Defiant_Source_8930
“There was a ‘slow TV’ movement in Norway—people watched a camera on the front of a train going down the tracks for hours on end. There are also people who watch aquariums,” Dr. James Danckert pointed out, talking about things people watch that do not seem very exciting—or interesting, for that matter. “I think those people are seeking some form of meditative experience. The monotony is calming as opposed to boring; something of an escape from a hectic life. Watching other people do mundane things—like folding laundry—might serve the same purpose.”
#6 I Don’t Have Cancer. I Thought I Might, But I Don’t
Image credits: LegolasAlwaysYes
#7 I Found Two Identical Snowflakes (Sorry I Took Photo Too Late)
Image credits: BenjaminCucumberBech
#8 My TV Has A Hole For Ants To Go In
Image credits: danx64
“Interest and boredom and happiness all share something in common—whatever you consider interesting, boring, or joyful is idiosyncratic to you,” Dr. Danckert pointed out. “Others might find your interest boring, or your joyful activity mundane; the key thing is that whatever it is, it’s we who choose it.”
#9 Apparently I Hold My Pen Like A Psychopath
Image credits: CrystalshipsCometh
#10 I Went On A Vacation And When I Came Back I Found This Long Brown Hair On My Pillow. I'm A Brunette With Long Hair And I Live Alone So Its My Hair
Image credits: rautarattori
#11 Picture Of Myself (Former Youngest Male In The World), And My Wife (Former Youngest Female In The World) In A Maize Maze
Image credits: SoDakZak
Looking at statistics of people’s most favored interests and activities, Dr. Danckert’s words about the importance of it being a personal preference ring true. In the US, for instance, cooking and baking seems to be the most popular hobby or activity, followed by reading, spending time with pets or playing video games respectively. While for many people these activities are clearly something they enjoy, others might start yawning just by thinking about them.
#12 R/Mildlyinteresting Downvoted Me Into Hell For My Bicentennial Quarter, So Here, Be Uninterested
Image credits: Magmat1c_
#13 There Were Coffee Beans Pretending To Be Apple Juice. I Wasn't Fooled And Successfully Bought Juice
Image credits: zachlr
#14 At A Hockey Rink And The Sink Had Drain Holes Shaped Like Hockey Pucks
Image credits: ih82luz
It’s no secret that nowadays many of our favored activities or interests are based on technology, which can be both a blessing and a curse for numerous reasons. For example, technology can provide us with information on nearly anything and everything in a matter of seconds, but it can also make us lose track of time as we scroll aimlessly instead of engaging in something more advantageous.
#15 They Didn't Finish Writing The Name On My Toblerone Box, So I Had To Write It For Them
Image credits: LawOfTheSeas
#16 Lady Posts About Her Birth Experience
Image credits: reddit.com
#17 This Glass Has Clear Water In It, But Your Brain Sees It As Magenta. That's Because I Changed The Color In Photoshop
Image credits: DotaGuy12
“People like to suggest that the internet has ruined our brains and that our attention spans have diminished to almost nothing,” Dr. Danckert told Bored Panda, highlighting another seemingly negative aspect of technology use in regards to interests. “But if that were true en masse then people would struggle to have conversations or readers would struggle to read this piece,” he added.
“Clearly, the world still turns. It is true that for a small percentage of users—around 4%—the internet and smartphones, and social media can become problematic; and our boredom is one of the drivers behind these maladaptive relations to technology. But the problem is not the technology, it is how we engage with it and how we engage with the world around us more generally.”
#18 More People Live Inside This Red Circle Than Outside It
Image credits: mike95242
#19 Getting A Tattoo Today. Here’s The Before Pic
Image credits: jessesgrrl
#20 I Made My Bed
Image credits: SavageFisherman_Joe
“What we consider interesting will no doubt be affected by the culture we exist in and that in turn is affected by technology," the expert continued. “What I don’t think is fair to say is that technology is to blame—to say that it abdicates our own responsibility for demonstrating our own agency—for choosing the goals we pursue and how we go about pursuing them.”
#21 Due To A Genetic Normality I Was Born With Exactly 5 Fingers
Image credits: sorsewer
#22 As A Woodworker I Can’t Stress Enough To Pay Attention. This Is What My Hand Would Look Like If I Cut Off A Finger. It’s Just In A Hole Right Now
Image credits: lumberjake1
#23 My Friend And I’s Conversation Every Week
Image credits: CrispyChickenLord
#24 I Made A Brownie For My Moms Birthday. (I’m 14, I Know It’s Not Amazing.)
Image credits: LXwolfe
#25 Here Is My Hand (I Dont Want You Reading My Palm)
Image credits: AeskulS
#26 The Hotel I'm Staying At Only Has Left Handed Mugs And I'm Right Handed
Image credits: Affectionate-Road-40
#27 If You Look At The Tip Of A Ballpoint Pen You Can See The Ball
Image credits: ICallMid
#28 This Is Currently The Most Expensive Ball In The World, Valued At 13 Quadrillion Dollars By Myself
Image credits: ActuallyErect
#29 I Am At A Gender Reveal, Today I Will Find Out If I Am An Aunt Or An Uncle
Image credits: SkeletonOfaGhostt
#30 I'm Currently In Brazil. That's Because I Live Here
Image credits: raskholnikov
#31 I Sat Across From This Lemon On The Streetcar
Image credits: boilons
#32 I Have A Burrito And You Dont
Image credits: Nuxz_Has_a_Youtube
#33 Found Money (Censored Fingerprints Because I Know You Weirdos)
Image credits: SylvanianCuties
#34 Cheese That Looks Like The USA If One Half Of It Was Kinda Square. Is This Anything
Image credits: seercloak30005
#35 I Have A Wrinkle That Goes All The Way Across My Forehead
Image credits: ElliottFriedmansChin
#36 Texts From My Oldest Sister
Image credits: JeloGelo
#37 How My Dad And I Converse
Image credits: FarmerChicken
#38 Date Cancelled Last Minute, Came To The Movies Alone
Image credits: f4rt3r_
#39 This Calculator Has 13 Types Of "E"
Image credits: Im_Chita
#40 I'm Going To Fight The Mold In My Room, Wish Me Luck
Image credits: LMC764
#41 Left: Milk Then Cereal, Right: Cereal Then Milk
Image credits: reddit.com
#42 I Unplugged My Fan Recently Because It’s Getting Cold Where I Live
Image credits: PillsBuryDatBoi
#43 This Is $37 Of Pure Money
Image credits: mumblesjackson
#44 Texts From My Dad
Image credits: RealSimonLovelace
#45 Lunch In A Russian School Today
Image credits: Hairy_Dog_38
