Children from 12 to 18 years old were offered to voluntarily spend eight hours alone with us, excluding the ability to use the means of communication (mobile phones, the Internet).
Moreover, they were forbidden to turn on the computer, any gadgets, radio, and TV. Then, a whole series of classroom activities was resolved alone with me: writing, reading, playing musical instruments, drawing, needlework, singing, walking, etc.
The author of the experiment (family psychologist) wanted to prove his working hypothesis that modern children are a lot of fun, not at all able to take care of themselves and are completely unfamiliar to themselves.
According to the rules of the experiment, the children had to take the first day the next day and tell them how the test went on alone.
They were allowed to describe their state during the experiment, record actions, and thoughts. In the event of excessive restlessness, discomfort or stress, the psychologist recommended immediately stopping the experiment, taking time and the reason for its discontinuation.
On first glance, the start of the experiment seems to be the least harmless.
So the psychologist mistakenly thought that it would be completely safe.
So many shocking results were not expected by anyone.
Of the 68 participants, only TREΕ was brought to the end of the experiment - one girl and two boys.
Three had suicidal thoughts.
Acute "panic attacks" have been tested for some time.
27 observed direct vegetative symptoms - nausea, sweating, dizziness, hot flashes, abdominal pain, sensation of "moving" hair on the head, etc. Practically, each person experienced a sense of fear and peace of mind.
The novelty of the situation, the interest and the joy of meeting with oneself almost disappeared at the beginning of the second and third hours.
Only ten people who failed the experiment felt calmly after three (or more) hours of loneliness.
The heroic girl, who brought the experiment to an end, sent me a diary in which she, for all eight hours, described in detail her condition. They're already the hairs began to stir on the head of a psychologist. From ethical considerations, she did not begin to publish these records.
What did adolescents do during the experiment?
- cooked food ate;
- read or tried to read,
- did some school assignments (it was a vacation, but many got rid of despair for textbooks);
- looked out the window or strolled around the apartment;
- went out into the street and sent to the store or cafe (the message was forbidden by the conditions of the experiment, but they decided that the sellers or the cash-desk did not count);
- lay heads or “Lego” constructors;
- dissolve or try to paint;
- washed;
- cleaned in the room or apartment;
- played with a dog or a cat;
- Doing exercise or doing gymnastics;
- recorded their sensations or thoughts, wrote down on paper;
- played on a guitar, piano (one - on a flute);
- Three recorded poems or a pose;
- one little boy, almost five hours, drove around the city on buses and trolleybuses;
- one girl embroidered on canvas;
- One little boy was sent to the park of attachments and three hours later it was proved that he had started to tear;
- one young man walked Petersburg from the end to the end, about 25 km;
- one girl went to the Museum of Political History and one more boy to the library;
- One girl prayed.
In fact, at some point, they tried to fall asleep, but no one got it, in heads twisted “stupid” thoughts.
Having finished the experiment, 14 adolescents got into social networks, 20 called the phone for the mobile phone, three called the parents, five went to the house or the yard.
The others turned on the TV or loaded into computer games. Besides, almost and almost all at once they turned on the music or put headphones into the ears.
After fears and symptoms disappeared immediately after the termination of the experiment.
In analyzing what happened to them during the experiment, 51 people took the phrase “depending”, “it happens, I can’t live without ...”, “I can’t be a little”.
Without exception, they said that they were surprised by those thoughts that went to them in the head in the experiment, but did not manage to carefully “consider” them due to the deterioration of the general cost.
One of the two boys who completed the experiment, glued the model of the empty ship for eight hours, with a break for food and a walk with a dog.
The other first took it apart and systematized its collection, and then transferred the flowers. Neither one nor the other has tested in the process of experimenting any negative emotions and have not noted the emergence of “strange” thoughts.
It’s worth something to think about ...