Sometimes, the best thing to do when you run out of things to do is to turn to the Internet! While the World Wide Web is a fantastic educational resource, it’s also a thriving entertainment hub offering lighthearted fun when boredom strikes.
From transporting you to a different musical era to landing on a random street on the globe and allowing you to share your thoughts anonymously, the internet is rife with quirky and engaging activities. Read on to discover ten must-visit sites capable of sending your boredom blues right out of the window.
1. Say Goodbye to Worries With Pixel Thoughts
PixelThoughts.com is a 60-second meditation tool designed to help clear your mind. The screen displays a star-filled background, symbolising the collective worries of people around the globe.
Start by entering your troubling thought into your dedicated star, click “Done”, and watch as your star gradually shrinks and fades into the vastness of space. Through this process, PixelToughts puts forth a visual metaphor, encouraging you to realise that there is more to life than the worries you hold on to. It reassures you with comforting messages like, “Your life is okay” and “Everything will be fine, ” and reminds you that we are just tiny specs in the cosmos.
While our thoughts are valid, fear and worry creep into our systems when we fixate on them. Instead, we should let them disappear into the void to help us feel less stressed and more connected to life.
2. Travel Back in Time With the Musical Time Machine
When you open Radiooooo.com, you’ll see a world map interface and a timeline displaying dates from 1900 to the present. Select a country and a timeframe to listen to tracks from that era. For example, when I chose India and music from the 1940s, the song “Chup Chup Khade Ho” by Lata Mangeshkar and Premlata began playing, and Romania and 1990s generated Rind de Hore by Tony Gatlif and Taraf de Haidouks.
This tool is handy for seniors who love music or are curious to listen to global tracks across decades. The best part is you can choose between three modes: slow (for chilling), fast (for dancing), and weird (for bugging out).
3. Play Ambient Sounds in the Background With a Soft Murmur
The gentle patter of raindrops, the whirling wind, and the waves crashing against the shore can effortlessly wash away our distractions. However, in reality, we often can’t control our ambient sounds. That’s where ASoftMurmur.com comes in. This website allows you to create your own blend of digital ambient sounds, from white noise and chirping crickets to coffee shop chatter and birdsong. These customisable soundscapes not only help you relax but also enhance your productivity while you work.
As a writer, I often turn to ASoftMurmur.com and play my own mix of sounds to cut out distractions. Sometimes, I get so engrossed that it feels like I’ve teleported to another location!
4. Embark on an Adventure With Map Crunch
If you have time on your hands, let MapCrunch.com take you to random streets in the world with the power of Google Street View. Click “Go” in the top left corner and tap the arrow buttons to continue along the route. The website features a 360-degree viewing range to immerse yourself in the surroundings. For example, you can explore the bustling streets of Tokyo, Japan, or wander through the serene countryside of Tuscany, Italy. You can also customise your virtual travels by selecting specific countries or types of locations, such as urban landscapes or rural areas.
5. Catch a Chuckle With Honest Slogans
HonestSlogans.com is an entertaining and clever website where creator Clif Dickens reimagines the slogans of popular brands to reflect what customers honestly think of them. By stripping away the polished marketing language, Dickens provides a humorous yet brutally honest take on these brands’ real-world perceptions. For instance, while HBO Go’s official slogan is, “It’s HBO, anywhere,” HonestSlogans reinterprets it as “Hoping your ex-roommate’s ex-girlfriend’s stepbrother won’t change the password” — poking fun at the common practice of sharing streaming passwords.
This satirical approach extends to other brands. Take Subway, whose slogan, “Eat Fresh,” is rebranded as “Because you don’t have time to make dinner,” emphasising Subway’s convenience factor over its so-called health benefits.
6. Watch Mind-Blowing Documentaries With Documentary Heaven
DocumentaryHeaven.com was launched in 2009 and is a platform that houses all the top documentaries from around the world. The wide array of documentaries is both educational and thought-provoking, and the website also encourages community interaction through comments. The site’s intuitive interface allows browsing by popularity, category, and date of addition. Some eye-opening favourites of mine are “What Darwin Never Knew”, “Flying Objects, A State Secret”, and “The Meat Lobby: Big Business Against Health”.
7. Write a Letter With a Letter to My Future Self
With LetterToMyFutureSelf.net, you can write a letter to yourself and schedule when you’d like to receive it — within one week, one month, three months, six months, nine months, or one year. Writing a letter to yourself is a powerful exercise for capturing your current feelings and emotions and also for tracking the progress of your goals.
For instance, if you aim to start a new fitness routine and reduce your cholesterol levels within three months, you could set these specific goals in your letter. Three months later, when you receive your letter, it’s time to evaluate your progress. If you’ve successfully lowered your cholesterol, celebrations are in order! However, if you feel overworked and exhausted at the end of three months, you’ll know it’s time to adjust your efforts and find a healthier balance.
8. Share Your Secrets Anonymously With the Whisper App
As its name suggests, the Whisper App provides a platform to share your secrets with millions of others without revealing your true identity. Its user-friendly interface is perfect for older adults as they can seamlessly connect through shared experiences and give or seek advice anonymously. Its founder, Michael Heyward, states, “Forty-five per cent of Whisper users post something daily.”
Much like an Instagram feed, it features a grid display of the most-loved Whispers. To create your Whisper, click the round button with the plus sign located in the centre of your screen.
9. View the Latest News on a Single Page With Upstract
Upstract is a shortcut to the news. Instead of juggling between different news websites or drowning in countless notifications, Upstract gathers up all the important headlines for you. You can access top news on a single page from various publications, including but not limited to WorldCrunch, Vox, and Washington Post.
10. Discover Your Next Read With What Should I Read Next
WhatShouldIReadNext.com is an invaluable site for book lovers looking for their next gripping read. When you enter the title or the author of a book you’ve thoroughly enjoyed, the site will search its extensive database to fetch similar titles. This site is a godsend for readers who detest hit-or-miss book choices and want customised recommendations that mirror their reading preferences. Moreover, its quotes section stimulates creativity and boosts motivation among readers.
