How Technology Can Ease Your Painful Quarantine
Well this sucks.
Chances are, you're stuck at home right now. Do you remember what the sun looks like? Do those huge clouds in the sky look much more intimidating than before? The outdoors are certainly much scarier now, aren't they?
Obviously that's all an exaggeration, but many people thrive on staying indoors. If you're an introvert, your life probably hasn't changed too much. If you're an extrovert who loves the outdoors, however, you may be feel like you're going a little crazy.
Of course, we should remember that we are confined to our homes for good reason. It's best for everyone to stay home and prevent further COVID-19 cases. Only go out if you need to!
So here are just some ways that technology can make your quarantine just a tad more bearable.
1. Netflix
May as well start with the obvious one first.
Worldwide, there are around 167 million Netflix subscribers, 4.6 million free trial users, and many more utilise the accounts of existing subscribers. It's probably safe to assume that if you have access to a Netflix account you're using it to pass the time already.
If you don't have a subscription or a free trial, you might get a lot of value from using Netflix. You'd have a huge range of movies and TV shows available to you for the next few weeks (or months) and, as long as it provides enough content you actually enjoy, you'll be able to waste a lot of quarantine hours.
What's worthy of watching depends on what your personal interests are, so I can't really offer any strong recommendations. What I think is brilliant may be utterly awful in your eyes.
If I had to give one recommendation, however, I would suggest Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness. I don't usually watch these types of documentaries, but this one has a lot of bizarre twists and turns and many, many strange people. Also, it's rather popular at the moment, so you can bond over it with your quarantine buddies.
2. Play with Alexa
Over 100 million Alexa devices have been sold, meaning there's a decent chance you can talk to her.
Some people actually seem quite scared of Alexa. There are fears that the Amazon Echo listens to the conversations of owners.
And in reality it does...
Amazon has a team of people who listen to voice clips recorded by Alexa devices in order to improve it's voice recognition software. So if you're concerned about people listening to you, maybe skip this one. If you don't really care then there are a few things you can do to pass the time.
There's a selection of games you can play on the device. One example is "Yes, Sire", a game in which you take the role of a lord in a medieval land. You must make a number of decisions which affect your popularity and your wealth. The aim is to prevent your popularity and wealth levels from getting to low or high. If you fail to do so, you'll cause your king to lose faith in your competence or become threatened by your success. You'll want to last as many turns as you can before you inevitably lose the king's favour. It's addictive and you may become determined to beat your best score. Although, if you play it too much it may get repetitive.
Another game you can play is "Akinator". This one involves a "genie" asking a series of questions in order to figure out which real or fictional character you are thinking of. It's interesting to see how obscure you can go before he fails to guess who you're thinking of. You'd be surprised by his ability to correctly guess characters or people who don't have much recognition. His line of questioning can be a little odd at times though. You may have previously clarified that the character you're thinking of is fictional, but he may still ask if your character has ever dated someone from One Direction...
There are plenty of other games you can play using Alexa. These include tic-tac-toe, Jeopardy, 20 questions, etc. Try out as many as you wish!
3. Digital Museum Tours
If you're the type of person who loves to go out to visit ruins or museums you may feel a little downhearted while you're stuck at home. However, one again the internet saves the day!
Thankfully, some museums allow you to explore their collection online. It may not be the real deal, but it's surely better than nothing.
The British Museum, the Guggenheim, and the Van Gogh Museum are all available to visit through your device. If you craving to learn about history, culture or science then these museums will help you get your fix.
If you're someone who hasn't really had an interest in museums, you might as well take a look. Just take a couple of minutes to look at one or two. Who knows, you may find something that interests you.
One bonus aspect of this is that you can survey multiple museums all over the world in one day! Can't get more convenient than that.
4. Destroy Technology
Maybe, you're not that much int technology. Maybe, you hate technology. Maybe, it makes no sense to make this assumption since you're actively using technology to read this.
However, if you do have any devices or computers that you just don't need, maybe smashing them might be entertaining. It might even give you a bit of relief. If the quarantine is incredibly frustrating for you, bashing up some old equipment might be an outlet for you.
You could bash your tech with a cricket bat, you could blow it up in your garden, maybe even just download a bunch of viruses and watch your device slowly die.
Some of you may hate the idea of senselessly destroying a piece of technology, but others may get great enjoyment out of it...
Are there any other ways of using tech to cure your boredom? Comment your methods below!
Sources from:
Bloomberg: Amazon Workers Are Listening to What You Tell Alexa
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-10/is-anyone-listening-to-you-on-alexa-a-global-team-reviews-audio
Business Insider: Amazon has finally revealed how many Alexa devices have been sold
https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-reveals-alexa-sales-2019-1?r=US&IR=T
CNET: 11 best ways to entertain yourself when you're in quarantine
https://www.cnet.com/how-to/11-best-ways-to-entertain-yourself-when-youre-in-quarantine-update/
Statista: Number of Netflix subscribers 2019https://www.statista.com/statistics/250934/quarterly-number-of-netflix-streaming-subscribers-worldwide/
Travel and Leisure: Stuck at Home? These 12 Famous Museums Offer Virtual Tours You Can Take on Your Couch
https://www.travelandleisure.com/attractions/museums-galleries/museums-with-virtual-tours
Tom's Guide: The 30 best Alexa skills
https://www.tomsguide.com/round-up/best-alexa-skills
Chances are, you're stuck at home right now. Do you remember what the sun looks like? Do those huge clouds in the sky look much more intimidating than before? The outdoors are certainly much scarier now, aren't they?
Obviously that's all an exaggeration, but many people thrive on staying indoors. If you're an introvert, your life probably hasn't changed too much. If you're an extrovert who loves the outdoors, however, you may be feel like you're going a little crazy.
Of course, we should remember that we are confined to our homes for good reason. It's best for everyone to stay home and prevent further COVID-19 cases. Only go out if you need to!
So here are just some ways that technology can make your quarantine just a tad more bearable.
1. Netflix
May as well start with the obvious one first.
Worldwide, there are around 167 million Netflix subscribers, 4.6 million free trial users, and many more utilise the accounts of existing subscribers. It's probably safe to assume that if you have access to a Netflix account you're using it to pass the time already.
If you don't have a subscription or a free trial, you might get a lot of value from using Netflix. You'd have a huge range of movies and TV shows available to you for the next few weeks (or months) and, as long as it provides enough content you actually enjoy, you'll be able to waste a lot of quarantine hours.
What's worthy of watching depends on what your personal interests are, so I can't really offer any strong recommendations. What I think is brilliant may be utterly awful in your eyes.
If I had to give one recommendation, however, I would suggest Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness. I don't usually watch these types of documentaries, but this one has a lot of bizarre twists and turns and many, many strange people. Also, it's rather popular at the moment, so you can bond over it with your quarantine buddies.
2. Play with Alexa
Over 100 million Alexa devices have been sold, meaning there's a decent chance you can talk to her.
Some people actually seem quite scared of Alexa. There are fears that the Amazon Echo listens to the conversations of owners.
And in reality it does...
Amazon has a team of people who listen to voice clips recorded by Alexa devices in order to improve it's voice recognition software. So if you're concerned about people listening to you, maybe skip this one. If you don't really care then there are a few things you can do to pass the time.
There's a selection of games you can play on the device. One example is "Yes, Sire", a game in which you take the role of a lord in a medieval land. You must make a number of decisions which affect your popularity and your wealth. The aim is to prevent your popularity and wealth levels from getting to low or high. If you fail to do so, you'll cause your king to lose faith in your competence or become threatened by your success. You'll want to last as many turns as you can before you inevitably lose the king's favour. It's addictive and you may become determined to beat your best score. Although, if you play it too much it may get repetitive.
Another game you can play is "Akinator". This one involves a "genie" asking a series of questions in order to figure out which real or fictional character you are thinking of. It's interesting to see how obscure you can go before he fails to guess who you're thinking of. You'd be surprised by his ability to correctly guess characters or people who don't have much recognition. His line of questioning can be a little odd at times though. You may have previously clarified that the character you're thinking of is fictional, but he may still ask if your character has ever dated someone from One Direction...
There are plenty of other games you can play using Alexa. These include tic-tac-toe, Jeopardy, 20 questions, etc. Try out as many as you wish!
3. Digital Museum Tours
If you're the type of person who loves to go out to visit ruins or museums you may feel a little downhearted while you're stuck at home. However, one again the internet saves the day!
Thankfully, some museums allow you to explore their collection online. It may not be the real deal, but it's surely better than nothing.
The British Museum, the Guggenheim, and the Van Gogh Museum are all available to visit through your device. If you craving to learn about history, culture or science then these museums will help you get your fix.
If you're someone who hasn't really had an interest in museums, you might as well take a look. Just take a couple of minutes to look at one or two. Who knows, you may find something that interests you.
One bonus aspect of this is that you can survey multiple museums all over the world in one day! Can't get more convenient than that.
4. Destroy Technology
Maybe, you're not that much int technology. Maybe, you hate technology. Maybe, it makes no sense to make this assumption since you're actively using technology to read this.
However, if you do have any devices or computers that you just don't need, maybe smashing them might be entertaining. It might even give you a bit of relief. If the quarantine is incredibly frustrating for you, bashing up some old equipment might be an outlet for you.
You could bash your tech with a cricket bat, you could blow it up in your garden, maybe even just download a bunch of viruses and watch your device slowly die.
Some of you may hate the idea of senselessly destroying a piece of technology, but others may get great enjoyment out of it...
Are there any other ways of using tech to cure your boredom? Comment your methods below!
Sources from:
Bloomberg: Amazon Workers Are Listening to What You Tell Alexa
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-10/is-anyone-listening-to-you-on-alexa-a-global-team-reviews-audio
Business Insider: Amazon has finally revealed how many Alexa devices have been sold
https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-reveals-alexa-sales-2019-1?r=US&IR=T
CNET: 11 best ways to entertain yourself when you're in quarantine
https://www.cnet.com/how-to/11-best-ways-to-entertain-yourself-when-youre-in-quarantine-update/
Statista: Number of Netflix subscribers 2019https://www.statista.com/statistics/250934/quarterly-number-of-netflix-streaming-subscribers-worldwide/
Travel and Leisure: Stuck at Home? These 12 Famous Museums Offer Virtual Tours You Can Take on Your Couch
https://www.travelandleisure.com/attractions/museums-galleries/museums-with-virtual-tours
Tom's Guide: The 30 best Alexa skills
https://www.tomsguide.com/round-up/best-alexa-skills
Comments
Post a Comment