Wise words. I agree.

Not that I necessarily disagree with the OP. There is a yearning deep down, and nothing at the mall will fill it. I don't know if it's a longing for the primitive, for supposedly primitive people have very complex strategies for obtaining what they need to live. I think the yearning is for the sense that one's actions are truly meaningful.

So what do people do? They buy more stuff at the mall, on credit. Which means they have given up a good part of their freedom.

But human perception and behaviour can be shaped, tempered and informed. It's just hard to get the message through above the commercial din and the stampeding herd.

It's contrast that gives life spice. All the fundamental, soulful adventure that people yearn for is available to them.
You can find wilderness that's big enough and rough enough for you. You can work with an NGO in a poor country. The best way to help yourself is to help others. You still get to come back to modern medicine and dentistry, food in the pantry, and more resources at hand than most humans have ever dreamed of.

If you're bored, it means you're boring.