How to entertain yourself using a computer

Find interesting online games. When you're feeling bored, one of the best ways to pass the time is by playing online games. No matter what game genre you prefer, you'll find great free games to enjoy.

• Try searching through the following lists of free online games:
  • Addicting Games
  • Newgrounds
  • Miniclip
  • PC Gamer
  • ROBLOX
  • FreewareGames
• If you're into role-playing games, give these a try:
  • Minecraft
  • Clash of Clans
  • World of Warcraft
  • Games by Blizzard

Find the Flash versions of classic arcade games. Have you ever played Asteroids or Centipede? If not, you haven’t truly lived! To find smooth-running versions of these games, check out Andkon here or 8Bit.com here. All of the following classic arcade games are available in free online Flash versions:

• Super Mario Bros.
• Missile Command
• Contra
• Donkey Kong
• Carnage
• Galaga
• Pac-Man
• Tetris
• Ms. Pac-Man
• Sonic The Hedgehog

Use Steam to install games on your computer. If you want to install more free games, use Steam, the free software available at steampowered.com. Here are a few popular games you can install:

• Team Fortress 2
• League of Legends (Has its own client software - Not through Steam)
• War Thunder
• DOTA 2

Create your own game. If you're feeling ambitious, you can design a simple game on the MIT Scratch website here. Scratch lets you create a game that you and others can play. You can chat with people, play each other's games, and manage game rooms. This activity is especially fun if you’re a gamer yourself.

Watch videos on YouTube. Whatever you want to watch, YouTube has it: from quirky cat videos with strange sounds to footage of the Apollo program. Search for videos on topics that interest you, or try watching and subscribing to a popular channel. Some of the most popular YouTube channels today include:

• Pewdiepie — video games and game commentary
• HolaSoyGerman — popular Spanish comedy
• Smosh — video games and nerdy comedy
• EpicMealTime — extravagant meals
• CollegeHumor — funny videos and short comedy skits
• JennaMarbles — comedy and popular commentary
• Nigahiga — comedy and popular commentary
• Machinima — video game commentary and film
• Markiplier — game playing/commentary, occasionally mixing in comedy/music

Create your own YouTube video. Want your content to go viral? A great way to entertain yourself using a computer is by making videos and sharing them online. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Try making a vlog.
• Review your favorite food or drinks.
• Record a comedy skit with your friends.
• Open your wallet or purse and describe the items inside.
• Make a "haul video," sharing items you purchased from a store, library, or shopping mall.
• Offer life hacks or useful tips in a tutorial.

Watch movies online. The best websites typically offer high-quality films for a fee, but you can also watch movies without spending a penny.

• Paid movie streaming sites include:
  • Netflix
  • Hulu Plus
  • Amazon Prime
  • Vudu
  • iTunes
• Ad-free and spam-free free movie websites include:
  • Hulu
  • YouTube
  • Folkstreams
  • UbuWeb
  • MetaCafe
  • Veoh
  • Vimeo

Listen to music online. Computers have forever changed music. From how we record to how we listen, today’s music and digital technology play a huge role in the industry, standing shoulder to shoulder with the guitar. Here are some free or affordable ways to enjoy music online:

• Pandora Radio
• Spotify
• Soundcloud
• Bandcamp
• DatPiff

Listen to podcasts. Podcasts are like free radio shows that cover a wide range of topics. Try PodcastOne or PodBay, where you'll find a huge selection of free podcasts to explore. From professional wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin to novelist Bret Easton Ellis, it seems like everyone has their own podcast these days. Some of the most popular podcasts include:

• RadioLab
• This American Life
• The Moth
• The Nerdist
• Hardcore History
• Stuff You Should Know
• Adventure Zone
• Joe Rogan Experience
• Savage Lovecast

Browse online (window shopping). Got some free time but no money? Try shopping online, but don’t buy anything. You can find almost anything on the web and enjoy comparing prices on everything from clothes and shoes to real estate and luxury apartments. Create a wishlist of items you’d like to buy, but make sure not to max out your credit card.

Plan your dream vacation. Use Google Maps to explore distant cities and learn about local attractions on Wikipedia. Then, switch to Expedia to check out flight prices, AirBnB deals, or CouchSurfer ads. Once you’ve chosen your destination, start saving to make that dream a reality.

Check out random websites. The "random website" service takes you to quirky and fun corners of the internet. You might spend hours hopping from one random link to another. Here are a few collections of random websites:

• The Useless Web - theuselessweb.com
• Pointless Sites - pointlesssites.com
• StumbleUpon - stumbleupon.com
• Reddit FIR (Funny/Interesting/Random) - reddit.com/r/firwebsites/

Learn a magic trick. Want to impress your friends at the next gathering? Try learning a coin trick or a card sleight. There are many online websites that break down each step so you can learn at your own pace. One of the most popular sites is GoodTricks (goodtricks.net), but you can also find tutorials on YouTube.

Draw online. Feeling a bit creative? There are many online drawing services available, from casual doodling to professional artwork. These platforms are convenient as you don’t need to install anything. Some popular sites include:

• DoodleToo - doodletoo.com
• iScribble - iscribble.net
• Queeky - queeky.com
• Sketchpad - sketch.io/sketchpad
• DrawIsland - drawisland.com

Explore Google Earth. Google Earth lets you take a close-up look at almost anywhere in the world. Using Street View mode, you can virtually stroll down the streets of Tokyo or search for Al Pacino’s home. You can even check out your own house and see if any windows are open.

• If you want to challenge your geography knowledge, try GeoGuessr. This site shows you a random street view image from Google Earth, and you have to guess its location. The closer your guess, the more points you score.

Read listicle articles. Ever wanted to see a list of the 25 best sandwiches in the world with GIFs? Or 20 of the most popular toys from the 90s? Sites like Buzzfeed, Upworthy, Slate, and The Awl offer funny and interesting compilations on random things you didn’t know you cared about. These are perfect for killing time without requiring too much brain power.

Read local news online. Want to know what’s happening around you? Check out local news websites. Fewer people are reading local news these days, which means that the average internet user probably knows more about celebrity gossip than local government issues. Use the internet to keep up with your community.

Take a free online course. Develop new skills and improve yourself while having fun. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are free and easy to find. You’ll feel like you're sitting in a prestigious Harvard lecture hall, all from the comfort of your home. Search for MOOCs through databases like here.

Blog about culture or specific fields of expertise. No matter what you enjoy, there's certainly an online community with the same interests as you. Into gaming? Check out PC Gamer or IGN to discover the latest games. Love music? Visit Pitchfork, Aquarium Drunkard, or Brooklyn Vegan. Find a community that shares your interests, where you can engage or at least explore.

Travel back in time on the Internet. If you're curious about how the Internet looked 10-15 years ago, you can conveniently time travel. The Wayback Machine offers a tool that lets you access older versions of websites.

Read articles and contribute to wiki pages. If you're here, why not contribute? Websites like Mytour and Wikipedia rely on user-generated content to exist, and it's thanks to users volunteering for essential tasks that these websites continue to function. From reviewing the latest changes to writing articles, contributing to wiki pages is a rewarding and fun endeavor.

Chat with friends online. Of course, you’ve probably considered this already, but there might be a new, quirky way to chat that you haven’t tried. Head over to UberFacts to see who can come up with the most random facts. Share links, pictures, and videos that make your friends laugh.

• Facebook, Skype, Kik Messenger, and Google Mail are likely the most popular chatting services, but you can also use Yahoo, AOL, and other email-based chat tools if you're feeling nostalgic for the "old-school" Instant Messaging experience.
• If you're feeling lonely, try a video chat with friends. It makes you feel like you're truly hanging out with them. But don’t video chat with strangers. Reach out to an old friend and chat via Facebook or Skype video chat.

Use Facebook or create a Facebook account. Facebook is a great way to kill time. You can post your own content, check updates from others, and chat instantly with friends. It's an excellent tool for staying connected and offers plenty of entertainment on your computer.

• If you're tired of your news feed, explore the feed of someone you don’t know. Your best friend's second cousin’s girlfriend’s Facebook page might have content you’ve never seen before. You could even find vacation photos from 10 years ago!
• You can also contribute your own content. Research suggests that people who spend more time viewing others' content and less time creating their own are more likely to feel bored. So, update your status, post photos, and write on others' Facebook walls.

Compose tweets on Twitter. If you haven't joined Twitter yet, create an account and start following celebrities, friends, and other Twitter users to engage with the hashtag community. If you’re funny, have a knack for concise writing, and know how to captivate an audience, you could gain a large following and entertain them with amusing tweets every day. You might even get into a Twitter battle with Steve Inskeep from NPR or Nicki Minaj. Just kidding. Don't do that.

Write reviews on Yelp. Ever been to a restaurant and wanted to share your opinion about it? Of course, you have. So why not take it online? Seriously, providing customer feedback is a fun way to kill time and stay entertained. Let others hear what you think!

Find interesting boards on Pinterest. Pinterest is a fantastic way to discover recipes, fascinating facts, outfits, life hacks, and share your findings with others. You can easily browse Pinterest, making it a perfect entertainment source when you’re stuck on what to do online. Create your own board and start pinning away!

Search for niche message boards. Without message boards, we’d never have the concept of "meme" (a viral internet idea), "lulz" (big laughs), or even the appropriate reaction GIFs. Joining a message board can be tricky, but you’ll always find communities related to different subcultures, from punk rock to skateboarding, anime to video games. Find a message board related to your interests, create an account, and chat safely.

Thay đổi ảnh màn hình chờ (screensaver) và màn hình máy tính. Bạn thấy chán ư? Hãy trang hoàng lại máy tính của bạn bằng thứ mà những người hiểu biết về máy tính gọi là desktop theme (chủ đề màn hình). Hãy kích chuột vào My Computer, sau đó là Control Panel nếu là máy tính PC, hoặc System Preferences nếu là Mac. Để trang hoàng lại máy tính, bạn cũng có thể làm được rất nhiều việc sau đây:

• Vẻ ngoài và màu sắc của máy tính
• Âm thanh trên máy tính
• Biểu tượng con chuột
• Cài đặt màn hình

Thay đổi ảnh nền của bạn. Tìm kiếm trên Google Images hoặc các trang chuyên về ảnh nền để lựa chọn những bức hình nền tuyệt vời cho máy tính. Cá mập đội mũ sinh nhật? Tuyệt. Hãy sáng tạo - lấy một bức ảnh đẹp của người nổi tiếng mà bạn ngưỡng mộ, một họa tiết thú vị hoặc một bức tranh vừa mắt của tạp chí hay nhãn hiệu mà bạn yêu thích.

Thay đổi screensaver của bạn. Tìm kiếm screensaver mới trong những tấm ảnh của bạn, hoặc tải ảnh trên mạng về. Bạn hoàn toàn có thể chọn screensaver là một slideshow ảnh của mình (mặc dù như vậy cũng khá tầm thường) hoặc một bức ảnh khiến máy tính bạn giống như trong phim Ma trận (tuyệt vời!).

Lật ngược màn hình. Hãy nhấn tổ hợp phím CTRL-ALT-DOWN với cả máy PC và Mac.

Listen to music. Relax on your computer by listening to music and exploring your song library. Create a new playlist or compile songs that are perfect for dancing, meditating, or working out, while also organizing them. Activate shuffle mode on iTunes to mix up your tracks and try to guess the song that's playing. Turn on the visualizer in iTunes or Windows Media Player to give your eyes something to do while you 'lose yourself' in the music. Or simply listen to those really great tracks.

Take photos. If you have a webcam installed, why not have some fun and take selfies, set up quirky still life scenes in front of your computer, or experiment with photo filters? Edit your pictures to make yourself look like a crooked alien with a strange nose, or adjust the colors until you look like someone who's seasick.

Edit photos with Photoshop. If you have Photoshop installed, crop images to create strange and fresh memes. Your grandmother's face with the body of actor Stallone? It's a great start.

Write an electronic journal. Back in the dark days (like the 70s), people used to keep journals where they wrote about their lives in vivid detail. Pretty shocking, right? It was actually a great way to spend a few hours on your computer, especially when you can’t get online. Open a text file and start writing about your day. Try to keep up with your entries. Who knows, you might end up enjoying it so much that you start a blog in the future.

Record a song. Most modern computers come with built-in microphones and software that allows you to record a song (or at least capture some sound) and edit music in just a few minutes. You don’t need to be a pro, or even have instruments, to record. Simply capture your humming, tweak the 'distortion' settings, and enjoy the wild sounds you can create. Overlay a random Bible verse with a recording of your dog snoring. A masterpiece.

• Record a podcast as if you’re an old-school DJ, sharing your favorite songs between the tracks. Pick a theme and create a playlist, then record and insert your voice clips between the songs. Have fun recording with friends too.
• Mix several songs together, tweak Bob Dylan's track into a death metal version, or play with death metal music to turn it into ambient drone. Recently, slowing music down by 700% has become a meme, from dial-up sounds to Nickelback songs.

Learn programming. If you’re bored with regular computer activities, why not elevate your passion? Learning programming lets you design and write your own software from scratch. It's similar to learning a new language—initially challenging, but incredibly rewarding (and programming skills will also enhance your resume).

• There are lots of programming languages out there. While there isn't just one "right" way to learn programming, beginners should start with the following five languages:
  • Python
  • C/C++
  • Java
  • Javascript
  • Ruby
• Visit CodeAcademy.com for interactive programming tutorials with various programming languages.

Learn web design. Spend a lot of time online? If so, consider taking a basic web design course to create your own website and contribute to the online community! Basic web design skills will require knowledge of the programming languages mentioned above (for example, many websites use Javascript). On the other hand, HTML programming skills specifically teach you how to create web content.

• Here are some websites offering free web design courses:
  • GeekChamp.com
  • WebPlatform.org
  • Berkeley.edu
  • Learn.ShayHowe.com

Explore new operating systems. Did you know you don't have to stick with the default operating system on your computer? That's right – Macs can run Windows, PCs can run Mac OS, and both can run user-created free operating systems! Installing these systems can be tricky, so be sure to check the support page for the program you're using (or search for helpful articles on Mytour) if you run into issues.

• To run Windows on a Mac, try using:
  • Boot Camp (pre-installed or available for free online)
  • A virtual machine program (like Parallels Desktop 10 for Mac).
• To run Mac OS on a PC, try using:
  • A bootable USB drive
  • A virtual machine program like Virtualbox
• Additionally, explore free operating systems like Linux, Ubuntu, and Haiku, which can run on both Mac and Windows!

Customize your computer. If you're not satisfied with your computer’s current performance, try taking it apart and upgrading the hardware. Depending on your goals, it could be quite easy. However, since computer parts are delicate and can be easily damaged, only attempt this if you’re sure of what you’re doing.

• Here are some components you can modify or replace to improve your computer’s performance:
  • Graphics card
  • Sound card (improves audio quality, but doesn't enhance computer performance)
  • Cooling system/fans
  • RAM
  • Processor/CPU
  • Cleaning out the dust in your computer can also help speed it up, but be careful not to let the computer touch the ground while cleaning, as static electricity could cause damage!
• If you're ambitious, you could make computer maintenance a hobby. Some people enjoy taking apart and rebuilding computers just for fun — like how others enjoy tinkering with cars. Best of all, this practical knowledge will give you an understanding of what’s inside your computer, which most people can only dream of.

• If you are a creative person who loves clothes, visit the Polyvore website. You can click on 'Create' and combine outfits according to your style. If you are into animation, you can sign up for the animation drawing mode. This website is entirely free and quite fun.
• If nothing seems to entertain you, try searching for interesting software on Google and see if something catches your attention.
• If you're bored with something mentioned in this article, try doing something different!
• If your child uses your computer, check their browsing history. Sometimes, their internet history might provide you with some good laughs!
• Try visiting websites for kids! Some of them can be really entertaining.
• You can even create your own website and share your information.

• Be cautious when searching for free games on unfamiliar websites. Some 'free' games may contain viruses and/or malware. If in doubt, check the reputation of the website (Wikipedia often has articles about dangerous sites and software), or stick to searching for games with 'open source' code.
• Keep in mind: not everything you find on the internet is trustworthy. Books still offer a safer bet!