|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Let’s clear something first.
I really don’t have many strong beliefs in life. But, if pressed to name one, it would be that wasting time is beneficial to our well-being.
In my opinion, if you waste time online while working, you are not wasting time at all. You are merely processing past experiences, pondering your existence, or preparing yourself for the next endeavors. Without some time off, you are not giving yourself a much-needed break.
The anxiety we get from the pressure of being productive all the time is overwhelming. Especially when we’re all working from home and dealing with other issues like maintaining normal family life at the time of the coronavirus epidemic. We are all navigating through muddy waters, so give yourself a break, waste time, and take it easy.
I think that wasting time is wrongly considered to be a sin. In fact, I will present scientific research to prove that wasting time online while working is wrongly considered to be a drawback.
In this article, I will explore what science has to say about my theory, and hopefully, we’ll learn together how to waste time online better. If you’re looking for excuses and suggestions, you are in the right place.
Contents
The Benefits: Is it OK to waste time while working?
There are many benefits of wasting time online.
“This is a surrealist ideal situation. We are poised between awake and asleep, in a collective unconscious. We are both here and not here. Sounds like surrealism to me.”
Kenneth Goldsmith/digicult.it interview
Give your brain a break
Working is tough, and everybody needs a break to normalize their stress levels, and ultimately prevent burnout. Short breaks during your workday give you more willpower to do your job. October 10 is World Mental Health Day. If you can, take the day off, and do something you like.
Verywellmind reports that doing things you enjoy has proven mental health benefits. World Health Organization agrees.
“Pleasant activity scheduling, which is also known as behavioral activation, is one of the most well-researched treatments for depression and is proven to boost mood”
Jeffrey Cohen, psychologist
Reward yourself
Playing a short game online can be a nice reward for a job well done. If you are finished with your tasks, why not spend some time socializing online, watching YouTube, or planning a family vacation. When you know that an exciting reward is waiting for you after you finish work, you will be more excited to get cracking, get it done faster and more efficiently. Nobody can object to that strategy.
“If companies can view their employees as human beings, not as productivity machines, productivity will actually probably increase, because when people feel mentally well, they’re more productive,”
Eve Rosenfeld, a doctoral student in psychology
Wasting time online increases productivity
Washington Post reported a study The Power of Kawaii, conducted at Hiroshima University. Students who were shown pictures of baby animals were more productive, even more than those who looked at pictures of adult animals or food. If your job calls for high attention, focus, and productivity, head over to zooborns first.
Wasting time online increases creativity
K. Goldsmith wrote the shockingly subversive essay and book “Wasting Time on the Internet” and almost broke the Internet with his analysis. The internet puts us in a state between deep focus and subconscious flow, a state that Goldsmith argues is ideal for creativity.
Learn something new while you waste time online
“Yes, the whole web is an example of a creative renaissance. For instance, the way we share artifacts, links, and things of interest with each other alone is amazing. On my Facebook feed, I learn more about the creative world than I do about how hateful it is. “
Kenneth Goldsmith/digicult.it
A new extensive study lead by Mizuko Ito, University of California, shows that American teens use digital media to develop important social and technical skills online. Times are changing and so are the ways the youth learn, develop, and socialize. Dmlhub reports there is definitely a generation gap in how the value of the online activity is viewed. Adults often view time spent online as unproductive and a waste of time.
The study also shows that online learning opportunities are abundant — from foreign languages to astronomy, but not fully utilized.
With The Social Distancing Lifetime Subscription Bundle Ft. Rosetta Stone you can start learning foreign languages or dominate any new topic that comes to mind.
With 12min Micro Book Library you can read up on any topic in under 15 minutes. Sound tempting, right?
The Drawbacks: Wasting time is unproductive
“Everyone is critical. That’s easy, expected, and boring. The better question is, how do we love the web? That’s difficult but as true. The web runs on hate. I want to think of it as running on love. It’s challenging, but possible. “
Kenneth Goldsmith/digicult.it
The main drawback that people seem to have about wasting time online is that you are not working during working hours. This is mainly said by people in authority. That could be your senior colleague, your supervisor or boss at work, or your parent. Their argument is that you should be doing what you are paid to do, which is only working.
The next common objection to spending unproductive time online is that you waste time. This is a much different objection than the first. This time, people in authority are worried that you are not utilizing your time at all and putting it to good use. They are not worried about being productive at all this time. They are worried that you are wasting your life. They may also imply that you’re no good and a loser. In this case, thank the well-wishers and continue living your life as you best see fit.
In my opinion, all these objections are completely wrong. Nobody can work all day without taking breaks. Well, not without risking burnout. If you are in control of how much time you spend not working, you are golden. For some efficient apps that control your productivity read this Workooze article.
How to get started: What to do on the Internet when you’re bored?
Two groups of people ask this question:
1. People who want to waste time online productively
Educate yourself
Internet courses offer new, interesting, and educating content, sometimes for free. There is content for every need.
If you want to learn Spanish, you can do it online while working. I actually think this is a great solution for busy workers who want to save time on the commute. You can take a short break during your workday, and brush up on the vocabulary needed for your next travel destination or business meeting. If you manage to master some Japanese and impress your business partners, your breaks weren’t time wasted.
I visit this site daily for minutes only, without exception. I don’t consider it to be a waste of time online. Typing fast is a huge bonus in modern life, whether you’re a writer like me or just an average Joe. Typing fast improves your whole online existence considerably. When typing follows your thoughts seamlessly, you can express yourself much better. I especially like 10 fast fingers because it is not another boring site with traditional drills. They offer competitions that attract a worldwide audience. Type faster to win a game and have fun. Win-win!
If you have 18 minutes or less, you can watch a Ted talk. Inspiring topics and great presenters in such a short timeframe can never be called a waste of time. So, if you’re done with your workload, head online without regrets. I recommend The Way We Work Ted series about the changing workplace. It is already in its 3rd season.
A great online place not to waste time, but learn new skills for free. If you only have minutes available, Alison courses are a great choice. You can master a course lesson by lesson, at your own pace. There are language courses, writing, photography, etc.
My latest hobby — photography proved to be beneficial to blog posts I write. I mastered a valuable skill by carving out 15 minutes here and there to watch YouTubers’ tutorials. Now I can use my own photos in posts, without worrying about copyrights. Not to mention I gained another passive income stream, which is a huge plus these days.
I recommend attending Alison free course on the Coronavirus.
Leave a question, read answers, and find out something new. You can help others by answering their questions on Quora. By contributing you can also feel better about yourself and lift up your spirits. If you are a business/website/blog owner, leave a comment and a link to your site, for promotion sakes. A fully filled-out bio and updated credentials add credibility to your content.
Manage Social Media
“If we are not online we don’t exist. I shoot therefore I am. I tweet therefore I am. I post therefore I am. The moment we unfollow someone or someone leaves, for instance, Facebook, they no longer exist. So being a part of social media implies existence now on a fundamental level.”
Kenneth Goldsmith/digicult.it
Spending time online on social media isn’t wasting time. You are reconnecting not only with friends but with past, present, and possibly future co-workers. Maintaining business connections can be productive both for the company you are working for and for your career. Humans are social beings after all. Sometimes it’s better to spend 15 minutes chatting online than going out for a business lunch. You will save time on the commute, and money.
Some companies pay a lot of money to Social Media Managers. So, if you are tweeting about how great your company is, or sharing information on Facebook about the latest developments, you should be thanked. Don’t hide your social networking skills. Who knows, if you’re so good at managing your own social media accounts, you could be looking at a new career path.
In case you’re trolling — Stop it! There are more fun ways to waste time online with 0 regrets.
2. People who want to unplug, waste time and have fun online
“Played PlayStation from 8 pm-1:30 am last night thinking ‘you deserve this ?’ and ‘it’s okay to take a break sometimes’. Now my back is absolutely wrecked from sitting on the sofa for that long – is this what old age feels like?”
Ali Abdaal (productivity YouTuber)
This article was in fact inspired by Workooze’s dear friend Zoc who spent a lot of his life in a job he doesn’t like, doing what he likes best — wondering through the Internet landscape without a goal or purpose. Sorry, we didn’t write this article sooner. Hope you’ll find our recommendations worthy.
Play online games
Procrastinating? Try these fun, useless games. Don’t forget to waste time online without regrets.
No Internet? No problem! You can play a replica of the hidden game from Chrome offline mode. This replica can be played on Google Chrome, Safari, and mobile devices. To access the game without an Internet connection, type chrome://dino in the address bar.
You can choose your character — T-Rex, Mario Brother, Batman, or Joker and run as far as you can. There are obstacles like cacti and birds in your way that can kill you and end the game. Press Space to start the game and jump your Dino, and use down arrow (↓) to duck.
The game is very addictive because you will want to beat your highest score and then the other online players. What a way to waste time with 0 regrets!
Microsoft Edge Hidden Surfing Game
You can access the Surf game from Microsoft Edge. You have to type edge://surf in the address bar and you can start. In the upper right corner, there are games settings. You can choose from three game modes, turn on the high visibility and reduce speed. This can be helpful if you can’t get very far, like me.
To start the game, first, choose your player/surfer and hit the spacebar. You can navigate your surfer using arrows on the keyboard or your mouse. Many obstacles can kill you, including a Kraken. There is a meter counter and the goal is to surf as far as you can. You get three hearts (lives), but you can always restart the game, which you will. Just hit the spacebar and waste time without regrets.
The hidden Surfing game instantly reminds of the old-school SkiFree game from the 90s. Bring on the nostalgia, I say!
This game seriously tests your desire to waste time online. But, with high-stress levels, sometimes you need some mind-numbing clicking.
The aim of the game is to find the invisible cow. The first thing you see is nothing on the screen. A cow is hiding on your screen but you can’t see it. The only clue you get is the sound after you click. The closer you click to the cow, the louder the sound. When you find it, click on it, and the cow becomes visible. Then, start over.
Neal fun is a website offering hours of fun. You can draw with different types of pasta, read the Universe forecast, guess the auction price, literally see how much money you make, see your life stats, where does your day go, conquer the world, etc. Made with ❤ by Neal Agarwal.
Play a game online and get more rice with the right answers. By playing longer, you are actually enabling more advertisements to appear on the screen. This way, you are earning money (represented by rice) that will be donated to the World Food Programme. WFP doesn’t buy only rice. It all goes to the people in need, so you might as well give Freerice a shot. Hope you can find a category that fits your expertise. If English is not your native language, you can use the language category to practice.
RuneScape is a free fantasy MMO game. You can do quests, combat your way around, or just be an artisan. Level up skills, earn XP, craft items, or explore the world map. RuneScape is so addictive you will most certainly waste time online without regrets.
There is a colorful board on the screen. The aim of the game is to color it in only one color, in 30 minutes. Once you complete a box, you advance to a new level. All I can say is — it’s harder than it looks.
Watch YouTube
YouTube is a whole other planet. You can watch cute animal videos, funny animal videos, cute baby videos, funny baby videos, etc. Do you see where I’m going? You can let YouTube take the wheel and surprise you with something you never knew existed.
Workooze Top YouTube useless picks
We pulled in the whole Workooze team to curate the ultimate useless list. Because the Workooze team members are completely different one from another, we are convinced the list is going to become a timeless classic.
Ozzy Man Reviews — hilarious, outstanding, original, etc. No topic is off-limits. A must watch.
American Ninja Warrior — conveniently short videos where entertainment meets competition. Competitors try to finish an obstacle course, and usually hilariously fail.
Yuka Kinoshita — mukbang videos by a Japanese competitive eater. How can 23000 calories be eaten by a tiny woman? Check out for yourself.
Sarah Millican — British comedian, always funny, even when complaining, which she does a lot.
CollegeHumor — for your daily dose of parody. Not just for students.
FailArmy — it’s been a hard year and other people’s failures always bring a smile to our faces.
Battlebots — robots, destruction, and competition? check, check, and check!
Bad Lip Reading — short clips containing funny lip reading done badly on purpose.
Hydraulic Press Channel — YouTube: Do you want to see how many soda cans can you fit in Pringles can with a hydraulic press? Workooze team: Yeah, OK. Crushing things is always satisfying, and this channel really crushes it.
Astro Tarot — our monthly dose of horoscope because we’re spiritual, not savages.
Miscellaneous sites
This website shows a random photo of ordinary people pointing their finger to the location of your pointer on the screen. You don’t even need to click, just move the mouse and a new photo will pop up. Surprisingly fun!
When you have exhausted other options, this site generates new, refreshing ideas. When you click on the Please button, a new tab opens with a completely new site to explore.
Cracked is a compilation of strange and insanely interesting articles, videos, podcasts, and more. Popular topics include Zombies, Urban Legends, and Behind The Scenes. Here, you can read about Queen Elizabeth’s surprising obsession with Flash Gordon, and all about The Erotic Thriller Donald Trump Wrote. We think it’s definitely worthwhile when you want to waste time online. No regrets whatsoever.
It is free to sign up and you get to choose from different categories that interest you. Then, Mix gives you an endless list of suggestions on how to waste time online. I tried scrolling down to the bottom of the page, and the Mix is tireless.
While you can comment and share, note that Mix doesn’t allow inserting your business name or your URL in comments.
Reddit is similar to Quora and Mix. You can choose the topics you are interested in and join communities. You can see other people’s posts and put your own. You can comment, and share, or just browse. I recommend the Creepy Reddit, for all things spooky. With Halloween around the corner, it’s worth visiting when you want to waste time online.
Be careful about entering the Guinness World, because you won’t be able to stop browsing. There are various categories of records to check out, funny videos, inspirational videos, etc.
Who knows, maybe you’ll find a category that fits your abilities. Stranger things have happened, according to Guinness. Beware, there is no prize money. You may get famous and sponsors, but no financial reimbursement from Guinness.
You are shown a picture from a corner of the world and you have to guess where this is. Or, take part in a daily challenge. Put your traveling to use while you waste time online, connect the dots, and win.
This beloved site is intended to scratch the shopping itch and waste time online. You can just browse and be entertained for hours. Budding entrepreneurs can submit their stuff and instantly reach a massive worldwide audience.
This site is great if you are out of inspiration for presents. Where else could you find a skull cereal bowl, a baby mop onesie, an avocado pool float, or Pokémon bookmarks? Useful? Mostly not, but much needed.
Conclusion
While we should all be thankful for having a job and having a chance to contribute to our society, I hope I managed to convince you to think twice about how you spend your working hours, at least.
Is it desirable to work and only work in your opinion, or is there room for introverted thoughts about life in general? Will you start wasting time online without regrets?
Workooze team gave their best shot at compiling a gem of a useless list. Are you done with your to-do list? Have you read the news? Trolled a bit? Now it’s time to have some fun. Waste time online without regrets because it’s beneficial to your wellbeing.
In any case, good luck with working from home. Be well!