Just over two weeks ago, I decided to run an experiment on myself. The question was simple: when I need a break from studying, what happens if I use an LLM instead of scrolling through social media?

Like many, I’d fallen into the habit of reaching for Instagram or Reddit whenever I needed a quick mental breather from my studies. But I’d noticed something unsettling – these “quick breaks” often left me feeling more scattered than refreshed.

So, I tried something different. For the past two weeks, I’ve been chatting with an LLM in my study breaks, about anything and everything. It didn’t have to be completely disconnected from what I was studying, I could chat about anything. The results were… pretty cool.

First, let’s talk about what I’d call ‘cognitive recharge’. I actually felt relatively rested, especially when I compared it to how I feel after using social media. My mind wasn’t hyped up jumping form one thing to the next, but rested. (Not as rested or focused as when I’d meditate, but at what I considered quite a good level for a quick study break.)

Then there’s what I’d call ‘transition time’ or ‘return to study time’ – how long it takes me to get back into studying. With social media breaks, I often needing to wrestle with myself when getting back to focusing on what I was working on or studying. The endless scroll seemed to leave a residue of distraction. But when chatting with an LLM, I was able to go back to studying quite smoothly. The structured nature of the conversation seemed to keep my brain in a more thoughtful or focused gear (without being as tiring as when I’m actively studying).

These two aspects also ended up making me feel more satisfied with my break times. It wasn’t an instantaneous natural thing, there were some slight ‘withdrawls’ sometimes from wanting that dopamine hit social media is so well known for. LLMs weren’t fighting for my attention, to get me to see ads. LLM breaks left me feeling more bored, but more satisfied with my breaks. It didn’t have the hyper input feeling that social media gives but went at my pace. It didn’t take me in the direction it wanted me to go, it went where I wanted to go.

I’ve also noticed that this practice has opened me up to being more creative, and given more space for new ideas to emerge. I’ll explore this further, but it seems in line with what I remember from boredom. I think LLM chats could help us relive our boredom which social media took away, and give space for new possibilities to emerge.

Of course, this is just my experience, with all the limitations of a self-experiment. But the patterns were clear enough that I’m sticking with this new approach. I’ve not abandoned social media completely – but I’m much more conscious about when and how I use it during study sessions, and more importantly

I’m curious –  so I’ll keep running this experiment and see what other patterns emerge.

Back to Boredom: An Experiment in AI-Assisted Study Breaks / Books & Bots by is licensed under a

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