Five Things To Do On The Internet

I know. There are millions of things to do on the internet. Yet, somehow, we occasionally get stuck in a three-tab loop, when we could be availing ourselves of infinite other options. Here are five things I like to do on the internet.

(This list is also good for anyone who finds themselves reading celebrity news, stalking exes on social media, or considering participation in GamerGate. Don’t do any of those things. They’re stupid. Do these instead.)

1. HIT THE “RANDOM” BUTTON ON WIKIPEDIA

When something interests you, stop and read it. Click on a link in that article. Read the next one. Learn some stuff. If you get three athlete pages in a row, give up for now and do something else.

2. FALL IN LOVE WITH A WEBCOMIC

All around the world, for almost two decades, people have been putting heart and soul into little arcs of story art for you to click through. If you find one you like, there might be YEARS of material to read.

Here are few you can start with, if you and I have similar tastes:

http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/

http://strongfemaleprotagonist.com/

http://modestmedusa.com

http://flipside.keenspot.ccom

http://xkcd.com

3. PLAY A VIDEO GAME THAT TEACHES YOU TO DO A THING

My personal favorite is codecombat.com, which is free and can teach you to work with one of several coding languages. You can look around and find thousands more learning games. And remember: It doesn’t matter if it’s meant for kids. Kids get all the best stuff.

4. LOOK AT ART.

Once upon a time, people had to go to museums to see art. You don’t. Study the classics on museum sites. Browse deviantart.com. Think about the creation of each piece. Be stunned for a little while.

5. VOLUNTEER YOUR BRAIN

The internet is full of questions. You’re smart, one way or another. Go to quora.com, or a site like it, and exchange some knowledge.

It beats the hell out of looking at other people’s baby pictures on Facebook.