Children who are not hooked into the media don't tend to get bored. And a life well-lived is always in the context of meaning. Journey involves the inevitable emancipation of child from parents, going out into the world. When you think about it, most fairytales, folktales and myths are metaphorically about birth, puberty, marriage, aging and death. So Story is a kind of communication that evokes or gives meaning to our lives.
Story also helps to bond the culture.
Until recently, cultures had a core of stories in an oral tradition. People grew up with stories told to them. They were an open audience, so there was immediate rapport between them and the teller. That's the only way storytelling can work, and we are close to losing the breadth and depth of this tradition, the ability to engage and be engaged. That is tragic.