If there’s any bright spot at all to the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s that we at least have the internet, unlike previous generations that also faced pandemics.
While a lot of us understand how lucky we are to be COVID-free and working from home, it’s hard not to feel a bit boxed in at times. What used to be a safe and comforting environment now can feel like a prison.
It’s the same thing with the internet. You can probably remember a time when going on the internet was the most exciting thing you could do. Now, you spend so much time online without having fun that you think to yourself, “What do people do on the internet?”
There are more things to do online in Canada than just scrolling endlessly on social media. Guest author Michelle Thomas shares with us six cool things to do on the internet when bored. To find out more about Michelle Thomas, click here.
Create your memes
If you love sharing memes with your friends, why not start crafting your own memes? It’s easier than you think, with free and easy to use sites like Make a Meme and Meme Generator.
The trick to making memes is ensuring that as specific as possible to your audience. Feel free to use all the inside jokes you share with your friends. You might just be surprised how funny you actually are.
Online Gambling
One of the things to do online is to play online casino games. This is a favourite past time for Canadian players who like spending time at top casinos like cookie casino. If you enjoy tangling with Lady Luck, we suggest you spin the reels on some great slot games and see if you come out with a win.
Online casinos in Canada nowadays often carry the stamp of approval of a gambling regulator, which means that you have little to no risk of being scammed. Of course, you must also do your due diligence, by searching for reviews on that Canadian casino or checking out UK casinos like TheCasinoDB.
Gambling is a fun way to pass the time and forget your troubles for a short while. If you’re lucky, you can walk away with a nice payout. Remember to place strict limits on yourself while gambling online. If and when a casino online in Canada stops being a fun, experience, you should stop immediately.
Take online quizzes
Sites like Buzzfeed rose to prominence on top of self-quizzes with themes like “Which Disney Princess Are You?” It’s easy to Google different kinds of quizzes. Not only are they fun, you might also learn something new about yourself.
If you enjoy frivolous quizzes, check out Buzzfeed’s exhaustive collection of pop-culture “Which X are you” quizzes. If you want a more serious test, check out the Myers-Brigg Personality Test, which can be taken for free.
Learn a new skill
The beauty of the internet is that it democratizes information. Anyone with a working internet connection can access the kinds of knowledge that would’ve been hidden outsiders just a few decades ago.
YouTube video tutorials on every imaginable pursuit are available for free. You can also check out free college courses from Ivy League universities to learn from some of the best teachers in the world on timeless subjects such as math, science, and the humanities.
If you’re looking for more immediately useful skills, sites like Lynda.com can be a useful resource for short primers on topics such as photography or digital marketing.
Try different kinds of food
One surefire way of keeping ourselves healthy – both physically and mentally is to make sure that we eat well.
You can learn how to cook better food by checking out food sites like Serious Eats or Bon Appétit and following the free recipes there.
Or if you’re hopeless in the kitchen, you can take advantage of your downtime at home by having food delivered from the various delivery services available in your area.
Explore different kinds of pop culture
We all watch Netflix and listen to Spotify. Most times, we already know what we want to watch or hear, so we keep coming back to those things. Both apps also send recommendations our way based on our habits. Over time, we watch and listen to the same kinds of things again and again.
Why not break free from the algorithms and watch a movie based on their poster? Why not listen to a new album from an artist you haven’t heard of before?
Multiple sites are available online to check out recommendations beyond our comfort zone. Ask your friends on Twitter or Facebook to recommend movies or artists. You can also check out pop culture sites such as Letterboxd or Pitchfork for new recommendations.
Conclusion
We would encourage you to experiment and pick one of the six options that you like doing the least and try it out for a couple of weeks. It might just end up giving you an online surprise!