b'\\u201cI\\u2019m dying of Boredom,\\u201d complains the young wife, Yelena, in Chekhov\\u2019s 1897 play Uncle Vanya. \\u201cI don\\u2019t know what to do.\\u201d Of course, if Yelena were around today, we know how she\\u2019d alleviate her boredom: She\\u2019d pull out her smartphone and find something diverting, like BuzzFeed or Twitter or Clash of Clans. If you have a planet\\u2019s worth of entertainment in your pocket, it\\u2019s easy to stave off ennui.\\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices'