When it comes to digital hobbies, you’ll often hear people saying they’re not good for you, and that they should even be avoided as much as possible – screen time is always bad, in other words. It’s really easy to just assume that anything that involves a screen has to be mindless at best and harmful at worst; it’s just how we’ve been taught. But the truth is that digital hobbies definitely aren’t going anywhere, no matter what people think or say, and in fact, many of them can be surprisingly positive, particularly when it comes to mental health (and that’s got to be a good thing).
If you’ve ever felt guilty for spending a long time immersed in a game or scrolling on your favourite app, perhaps it’s time to re-think and think of the good things instead. With that in mind, here are some of the reasons why digital pastimes can be good for you.
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They Can Boost Your Brainpower
When you think about your brain, it’s important to think of it as a muscle, and if that’s the case, you’ll also need to think about strengthening it with exercise, just like any other muscle in your body. The fact is that when you do various digital activities, that’s going to help build your brain muscle and boost your brainpower – things like puzzle games, for example, that allow you to work through logic problems and improve your problem-solving skills, are a great example, so trying your hand at online spider solitaire could be the perfect place to start.
You really can’t call these games and any similar activities ‘mindless’ – they’re a fantastic way to exercise the brain and give it a really good workout, and even better is that they’re fun – you won’t even notice you’re exercising your brain because you’re enjoying what you’re doing, and that’s good too (especially as it means you’ll be motivated to keep doing it).
They’re Perfect For Stress Relief
Life is stressful – even on a perfectly good day, there will be times when stress comes along, and then there are those days when it’s pure stress from start to finish. Whether it’s a little or a lot, the point is that stress – constant, high stress, at least – isn’t good for our health, whether that’s mental or physical, and we all need to do as much as possible to reduce that stress to keep ourselves happy and healthy.
You might already have guessed, but digital hobbies can be an excellent way to get away from things when life gets overwhelming, and they’re a fantastic way to get a quick escape, giving you the chance to completely disconnect from the chaos all around you and properly recharge, which is hard to do, so finding a way to do it is a good thing all around.
They Help You Stay Connected
Although you might assume so at first, and although a lot of digital hobbies are pretty much solo affairs, you don’t actually have to enjoy your online time alone if you don’t want to. Once you start looking around, you’ll see there are loads of games, puzzles, and platforms that are built to make social activities not just possible, but enjoyable, and you’ll be able to connect with friends, family, or even complete strangers if you choose to (although if you are connecting with strangers, it’s crucial to remember how to stay safe online and never give out personal information, for example, just to be sure).
What do we mean by all this? Well, some examples are multiplayer games, collaborative apps, and perhaps online forums dedicated to talking about your favourite… whatever. It could be a TV show, a book series, a certain type of math problem, a specific car, or anything else. If you love something the chances are someone else will too, and you’ll be able to find people to connect with online once you start looking – it probably won’t even take all that long.
They’re A Creative Outlet
Digital platforms are a fantastic place to really let your creativity and ideas shine out because you can do anything you want to. If you love designing homes, there’ll be a website or simulation that allows you to be an interior designer for a little bit. Or maybe you love to sketch, in which case have a look for digital canvases and the tools provided to help you do just that. Is it music that’s your thing? Well, you can do anything from making the music yourself to creating the perfect playlist, and it can all be done online with ease.
The beauty of these activities is that they’re accessible to everyone who has internet access, and you can use a laptop, tablet, or phone to get to them, so wherever you are and whatever you’re doing, you’ve got all the options you could ask for to make your time worthwhile, relaxing, and fun. Even better is that you don’t have to be good at what you’re doing – you don’t have to be a professional artist or musician or anything else. You can just enjoy the process of whatever it is you’re doing digitally without needing the end result to be perfect, and that’s going to lower your stress levels even more.
They Make Learning Fun
One thing to bear in mind is that not all digital activities are created equal, and there will certainly be some that are less useful than others (although as we’ve said, they’ll all have their benefits, even if it’s ‘just’ reducing your stress levels and giving you a chance to chill out for a bit – which is vital, by the way), and if you happen to be learning something while you’re online, and if that learning happens to be fun, you’re definitely on the right track with your choices.
From virtual museum tours to interactive language learning websites and apps, you’ve got all the knowledge in the world right there at your fingertips, which is so exciting. Think about what you’d like to know more about and then search for it, and you’re sure to come across websites and book recommendations and perhaps even games and puzzles that will help you get the knowledge you’re looking for – and if some of those things feel like you’re playing, then so be it; that’s a good thing as you’ll remember more and you’ll enjoy learning which means you’ll want to do more of it.
They’re Convenient And Customisable
One of the best things about digital hobbies is that they’re so easy to fit into your day, even if you’ve only got a couple of minutes to spare – there’s sure to be something that suits your schedule. If you’ve got more time, you’ll have more choice, so it’s always worth making time for relaxation and self-care if you can.
On top of being able to find what you’re looking for to suit whatever time you happen to have available, you can also find whatever it is that suits your mood or that helps you get where you want to go because they’re not just convenient, but a lot of the time they can be customisable as well. Make your online experience into whatever you need it to be and you’ll benefit from it, and the great thing is you’re probably already doing a lot of customising without knowing it – it’s something that just comes naturally a lot of the time because the online apps and games and puzzles are so intuitive and user-friendly.
Whatever you chose to do, have fun and stay safe.