Seems like everything we do is online now, right? I’ve been living, playing, learning and working online full-time since about 2009. It’s where I’ve met some of my closest friends and encountered some of my best opportunities. I still love doing things IRL because I was here when that was the only way things were done. It’s the beginning of a brand new year and there are plenty of reasons to try something new, whether it be just to expand your horizons or try something you never even considered before and its easier than ever with the internet-based and computer-based hobbies. Let’s face it, the internet is a wealth of information and it’s always right there at your fingertips.
Maybe you’re feeling stuck in a rut, or just might be plain old, run of the mill bored. God knows after these last couple weeks of not knowing which day it was, I am definitely bored. But, I definitely don’t have to be. By turning to a hobby, you can reinvent who you were into who you want to be. For example, I’ve decided 2024 is the year that I get back to playing the guitar, practicing some languages that I’ve become rusty at (Oh yes, I’ve got a hot date with Babbel) and learning to knit. Thanks to the internet, I can do it all from the comfort of home at my own pace and I am ecstatic.
There are billions of hobbies available to pick up online but that doesn’t mean you’ll be interested in all of them. It’s definitely worth narrowing them down with something you’re already interested in, like computers or the internet. There are more than a few of those hobbies you could try.
These could be more interesting than you’d think, and these three could keep you occupied for hours. I know because I make my living doing one of them and I just graduated with an M.S. in Digital Marketing from a university on the East Coast thanks to the internet. Long live tech, computers and A.I ( as a search engine of course, the way it was intended).
Computer-Based Hobbies: 3 Great Picks To Try
1. Learning
You can learn quite a few things from your computer. Actually, you can learn almost everything and not all of it has to be useless facts or random cat videos. Instead, you can use it to learn about something you actually like and care about ( new languages, how to DIY or even earn your university degrees) . There are even classes related to developing and improving careers ( I’m looking at you HubSpot Academy, Learn Digital with Google and SEMRush ).
To say you’ll have plenty of them to choose from would be an understatement. There are even free courses available online from Harvard! I should know, I’m enrolled in 2. Whether you’re doing it for your career or simply for the love of learning, with the internet, there’s nothing holding you back. Many of these courses can even result in you getting certifications, which can be great if you’re career-hunting.
2. Online Gaming
One of the first computer-based hobbies that could come to mind is online gaming. You probably thought of this already, but you might believe it involves massive and complicated games. It doesn’t have to. Online games range from the simple – like winter poker – to the massive – like World of Warcraft.
No matter what your interests are, you’ll be sure to find more than a few online games you’ll like. It can be worth looking into more than a few of them, and it could end up being more enjoyable than you’d think.
3. Blogging
Well, we all know this is my favorite, as I’ve built my own website and brand over the last nearly 15 years. For me, blogging is everything; it’s where I niched out a career as a SAHM, built a community and logged many hours of motherhood. If you love writing, then blogging can be one of the most appealing computer-based hobbies you can try. All you’ll really need are some basic tech skills to start things off, and the passion to keep blogging about something.
You’ll have plenty of options to choose from when you’re blogging. My suggestion is to blog about something that you love and/ or are passionate and knowledgeable about. If you really want to succeed, answer the burning questions potential readers have about the topic you want to write about. They say if you do something you love, you’ll never work a day in your life. As a professional blogger, I’d like to debunk that myth because blogging is a lot of work but you’ll really enjoy it. Loving the topic that you’re writing about will give you the motivation to keep writing about it. With a little bit of time and effort, you could even see your community of readers grow over time. That’s your village and they are 1000% worth all the effort.
There are more than a few computer-based hobbies you can pick from. The internet is the perfect place for enriching your life without having to go out into public and people because let’s be real, sometimes peopling is overrated. You’ll end up keeping yourself occupied for hours, while becoming the optimized You 2.0. Why stop at just one? Try a few of them if you want to find something you’ll really love. It’ll keep you more entertained and maybe even make you the most interesting person in the room when you do venture out into public. Best of all, you’ll have a cure for boredom at your disposable 24/7.
