Are You Using The Internet Efficiently Time-Wise?

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If you’re reading this, you’re most likely sitting on your computer and looking for things to do. A few years ago, Nielsen and the Pew Center released a graphic to show how people use the internet and for the most part, internet users spent their time viewing content. Fourty-Two percent of their time was spent viewing text, images and video. In second, came email and commerce with 36%. Finally, in third place was social networking at 22%. Now if we were talking about today, with the emergence of social media as a must-stop for most internet users, the percentage of time spent using social media has most likely gone up.

Given these numbers, some may question whether or not we’re using our time as wisely as we should be. The Internet offers people a number of things to do, and sometimes those things can actually be useful. While social media can certainly provide quality information, many of us sometimes go through a social media rabbit hole. You go on to Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest and seemingly lose track of time as you go through all of your friends’ profiles. Then you look up at the clock and realize you’ve spent hours on your computer. Wouldn’t you like to use the internet to learn a skill you’ve always wanted? Here are some of the many options out there:

Teach yourself code in 8 weeks:

While you might not be able to work for Facebook as a senior programmer, Lifehacker does show you that it’s possible to learn basic coding in as little as 8 weeks. In this particular post, the author gives the reader a step by step guide for what he did to learn Python. Google offers a free class with detailed instructions and video as well as exercises to get the basics down. From there, there are a variety of courses and guides you can use to build your very own prototype.

Teach yourself guitar without ever leaving the house:

If you have a fear of meeting with an instructor in person, but you still want to learn the guitar for your own personal endeavors, it’s possible to learn to play the guitar online. Look into live music tutors who guide you through the basics and will be there each step of the way as you improve on your instrument of choice. Even if you’re a beginner who just wants a working knowledge of playing the guitar or you’re an experienced guitarist who just wants to learn a new song, a live music tutor can help. And the best part is: all you need is a webcam and WIFI connection.

Go to Yale without paying the tuition:

If you love to learn for learning’s sake to expand your mind, Yale University offers a few free courses as part of its Open Yale Courses program. You can access these courses online through iTunes, YouTube or Yale’s website; and there are a variety of courses to choose from, including Milton, the American Novel-Post 1945, and a philosophical look on Death.

Author Bio:

Kay Kissinger is a writer who stronger believes we can benefit from the interenet.