5 Ways to Have Fun at Home with Technology
All of this globetrotting can start to wear on a person. If you’ve arrived home from a big trip, or don’t have the funds to do one yet, you might find yourself settled in at home and not feeling a need to get out as much. There are always ways to keep yourself busy, but it can also be a nice change to discover new hobbies. Here are five ways to have fun without leaving home, using the wonders of modern technology:
1. Communicating more easily with your family
If you don’t have Skype yet, download it now. This free program allows you to communicate through your computer with anyone in the world in real time. Chatting view keyboard, voice, and video is easy and free, anytime, with anyone else that has the program installed. Seeing kids and grandkids is made incredibly simple, and the visual component is something that you will definitely cherish. All you need is a good internet connection and a cheap webcam.
2. Exploring new musical tastes
It’s easy to feel left out of pop culture, and for many of us, that’s just fine (or even preferable!). But there is still amazing new music being made that can restore your hope in the next generation. There are a number of sites like Pandora, Last.fm, and Grooveshark that allow you to input music that you know you like, and will find songs that they determine share characteristics. They will keep refining according to your judgment until you’re happily discovering totally new artists that you would never have had the opportunity of listening to before.
3. Online gambling
Shhh…I won’t tell if you won’t. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it—sites like http://www.mobilecasinoaustralia.com.au/ can be a lot of fun. Whatever kinds of games you like, you can probably find them online–blackjack, different international versions of roulette, slots, and so on. You can even start out playing with “fake money” before risking your pension funds. If you’re really technically apt, you can even play on a mobile device rather than just your home computer. Will your kids laugh at you? Maybe. Will you make money? If you’re lucky and patient. Will you have a good time? As long as you play responsibly. Try it out!
4. Learning
Whether you’ve always wanted to learn French, are fascinated by ancient African cultures, or are hoping to figure out who this Justin Beiber character that everyone’s talking about is, you can find answers. While for many of us nothing will replace the solidity and sense of contained wisdom of a physical library, the internet is an amazingly convenient way to learn anything. Treat it as a reference library containing the accumulated knowledge of almost every segment of society. The only downside is that you have to wade through all of the less constructive contributions to find the real gems.
5. Don’t be afraid of gadgets
iPods for music on the go, Kindles for carrying every book you’ve ever wanted to own, and tablets for doing anything your computer can but on a touchscreen that fits in your hand—it’s time to accept that they’re here to stay. Don’t be intimidated by the myriad specifications and versions offered for electronic products, because you can always get reliable advice from flesh and blood salespeople at retail stores. These gadgets were invented to make life easier, and making friends with them will allow you to discover just how well they can do that. Take the plunge.
However you choose to spend your time, embracing the digital is no longer really an optional course. We are surrounded at all times by technology that didn’t exist 5 or 10 or 15 years ago, but has revolutionized the world. When you become comfortable with these things, you may be pleasantly surprised to find life not only easier, but also more enjoyable.
