Introducing 9 Ways to Productively Use the Internet
Photo by Domenico Loia on Unsplash
The invention of the internet was an accomplishment that revolutionized the world. Daily life was transformed by the invention. Communication across the world became instant with the push of a button. Goods and services could be sold online without ever walking into a store. Entire new industries were created. Information about any topic was now available simply by typing into a search engine. You get the picture… There are many different ways you might productively use the internet in your daily life.
The importance of the internet in our modern lives cannot be overstated. People use it for many tasks throughout the day for work, education, leisure, entertainment, and more. New websites and services are being added daily. It’s not surprising that people spend more and more time on the internet with each passing year (1).
Yet, most people don’t use the internet as a tool to improve their lives. They use the internet primarily to scroll through social media, play video games, watch videos, etc.
They use the internet mostly for entertainment.
Why should you productively use the internet?
The internet is one of the best tools to improve your life, hands down.
You have access to the entirety of human knowledge instantly. There has never been an era in human history where we had access to everything we ever thought, created, researched, discovered, and so on. This knowledge has never been so readily available to us, either.
With the rise of smartphones, the entirety of human knowledge fits into our pockets. An incredible feat.
Anyways, the internet can be used for many, many different things to improve your life. There are currently 1.18 websites online. Chances are high that at least one of them can help you create a better life.
Here are 9 ways you can productively use the internet to improve your life:
Read books. Reading books is one of the best ways to learn new things. You can learn new things on any topic you’re interested in online. You can find most books online, either available for sale or available digitally as E-books. You can also listen to audiobooks online if reading doesn’t interest you.
Listen to podcasts. Podcasts are a relatively new phenomenon that has exploded in popularity recently. You can listen to people talking about topics you’re interested in for FREE! Many experts in their respective fields have their own podcasts or have been guests on other people’s podcasts.
This is another great way to learn new things online.
3. Learn a new skill. You can learn almost any skill on the internet. You can find information about nearly anything on Google. There are hundreds of online courses offered for most skills. You can complete most of these courses on your own time. You can hire online coaches to help you develop the skill you are interested in. And you can even get a college degree online.
4. Organize your life. The old adage, “fail to plan, plan to fail,” is a timeless statement. Being organized is crucial to making the most of your time. Thankfully, there are many, many different productivity tools available online to help you be productive. Online calendars, to-do lists, business management software, and so on. There are countless online productivity tools that you can use to be more organized and productive, many of which are automatically installed on your device!
5. Invest. The rise in cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin has created a frenzy of new investors. These cryptocurrencies are going to become even more popular throughout this decade. And don’t forget about the good ‘ole stock market. You can invest and trade in the stock market from the comfort of home.
You can also use the internet to find out how to invest, in addition to all of your banking needs including spending, saving, budgeting, building credit, and so on. There are plenty of financial experts available for hire online to help you make smart financial decisions with your investments.
6. Do your shopping online. Most businesses now have a website. As of 2018, 71% of all small businesses in the U.S. have a website (3). More and more businesses are using the internet to sell their products and services. This provides you comfort and convenience because you can shop at home! Save time and money by researching to find the products you are exactly looking for by companies you love.
7. Start an online business. It has become easier than ever to become an entrepreneur. The startup cost can be affordable, depending on the business you’re doing. There are many different options you can choose for your business model, including freelancing, selling courses, online coaching, blogging, e-commerce, re-selling, and more.
8. Network. According to Statista, 4.66 billion people use the internet. That’s 59.5% of the world’s population (5)! The internet is huge. Networking is an important skill to use to grow your online business. But it’s also important to make new friends and meet new people with similar goals and interests as you.
There are many different ways you can network online, including commenting on forums and blogs, joining an online community, connecting on social media platforms, emailing, giving referrals to other businesses, linking with other businesses, and more (6).
9. Use the internet to inspire you. There are a lot of motivational speakers who post videos on platforms such as YouTube. Listening to people who inspire you can help boost your productivity. Seeing things that other people have shared online can also inspire you to try new things, share your own work, etc.
Wrapping up
This isn’t a comprehensive list by any means. These examples are simply some ideas to help you make more productive use of your time on the internet.
Try one of these things out and see the positive changes it makes to your life. You’ll feel like you’re making better use of your time, and you'll feel more knowledgeable, organized, and inspired. You could even start a new career or side hustle by trying these things. Making good use of your time is one of the biggest mood boosters there is.
You’re most likely spending a lot of time online already, so why not use it to improve your life?
References:
https://born2invest.com/articles/productive-ways-spend-time-internet/
https://www.chamberofcommerce.org/small-business-statistics/#marketing-statistics
https://www.marketingsolved.com/20-types-of-online-businesses-you-can-start-today/
https://www.statista.com/statistics/617136/digital-population-worldwide/