The Internet has brought us many useful tools and facilities we should be enriching our lives with, but the fact is: we're not. Most times, people log on to check in on (read: stalk) their "friends" on Facebook, screen emails, and look at highly-processed pictures of places and things they'll never see in real life (nor truly pay attention to in the moment if they do). That doesn't sound like a world I want to live in, and neither should you...
An amazing place, the Internet is home to a myriad of societies and cultures so expansive that even someone with obscure or avant-garde taste can feel comfortable and understood. As someone who spends a lot of personal and professional time online, I wanted more.
I don’t want my headstone to read "RIP Facebook User 2349583;" I refuse to go out like that. To help you achieve your equally exciting eZen moment, I've compiled a short list of things you should do online so the Internet achieves greater purpose in your life. You're welcome!
1. You Should Be Making Money
We get it: the global economic downturn kicked us all in the proverbial nuts. But the statistics on how much time and money people spend online aren't meant to make you depressed; they're meant to inspire you! People with no formal business background are setting up their own web pages and making money online. Sure, we suggest it like it's the easiest thing ever, and like anything successful, it takes hard work. But if you're going to spend hours a day online, why not make those hours more productive?
Sites like Etsy and Freelancer.com are modest testimonies to how the internet empowers passionate people to make money online. Fivver, mTurk, and other sites provide additional ways of boosting income, and as always, don't forget to keep ads on your site from easy-to-use services such as Google Adwords and Amazon Affiliates.
Already online but need to give your business an eBoost? There are tools like toll free forwarding to take your current online business further. Armed with a 1-800 number, exceptional WiFi, and a snazzy webpage, you could turn bandwidth into bucks in no time! (Your next mission: deciding what to peddle online…)
2. You Should Be Falling In Love
This isn't a new concept; we've been doing this since time immemorial (albeit not always successfully), but finding love online has had a sticky stigma for quite some time. Many people found their soulmate and OTP (one true pairing, in case you're not a fangirl or fanboy) just by chatting on forums and social media, but insufficient merit is given to the internet as a conduit of love. "Love online" for many people still conjures images of sneaking around to type dirty to strangers in untraceable (FYI, everything's traceable by both governments and corporations) instant messenger chats, but things have changed drastically in the past decade.
Dating websites have cleaned up their acts, making it easy for educated, eloquent professionals of every designation to log on to get their grove on! Some require payment and others are free, but all of them can be fun if you give them and yourself a chance. With a tastefully accurate picture of yourself & an honest, interesting profile, you could be chatting or even meeting with someone you otherwise may not have met because it wasn't in the cards.
If sitting at the bar Friday night after Friday night is no longer working for you, take that dedication to an online dating site. Even if you don't find Mr. or Mrs. Right, you can at least find friends who may be closer than you think. And who doesn’t want a buddy?
3. You Should Be Vlogging
This one's a little tricky - you're either into it or not - but read me out; vlogging makes people happy. There's no shortage of free online and cloud platforms for people to upload original content, and you ought to investigate this for your own peace of mind. On YouTube alone, there are vloggers or video bloggers who even make money putting their thoughts and opinions on the internet.
This list is just a sample and no, we're not suggesting that you become the next Jenna Marbles, but if you have something to say and aren't afraid of putting you voice and face out there, give vlogging a whirl. If you grew up in the age of handwriting in a diary or are tired of the lifeless posts in your Facebook timeline, you'll appreciate the catharsis of vlogging.
