Boredom can indeed have an immense effect on people, and all other intelligent species of animal.
Did you ever read "the human zoo" by zoologist Desmond Morris? I don't remember exactly where, and with what words, but somewhere in the book he wrote about the effects that extreme boredom has on all primates, including humans. People placed in an empty room with absolutely no influences or distractions will start to self-mutilate by any means necessary, just to get some kind of stimulants.