The internet is this absolutely amazing phenomenal that allows us to communicate with other people throughout the world and there's so much to do, so much to see to the point where we can meet at the same place but have visited so many different other places at the same time. So, what places do you enjoy when you're using the internet, hmmm?
a lot of the things. i spend most of my time on youtube though. i like watching people play games i can't afford to or don't want to because they're usually horror, and i also enjoy it just because it's nice to have someone almost talking to me? especially since i don't exactly have any friends and don't go out much. it helps time pass faster as well. i like that there are sites that allow me to watch things i would otherwise have to pay for and mean i don't have to contribute to the wealth of garbage companies like disney. i also like that it gives me the opportunity to interact with and meet new people, sometimes who even enjoy the same things as me. i met my girlfriend on tumblr, for example, and we've been together for three years now! it gives me somewhere to write for as long as i want (since i could never write as much as i do by hand. i'd get all kinds of cramps, and it'd take considerably longer) and have multiple places to store/back it up.
i like being able to talk to my friends and i love being able to watch YouTube like game playthroughs which in turn get me hyperfixated on stuff and it makes me very happy and yeah
I personally like forums. It sucked when social media took over, but I’m glad I got into the internet when forums were still big. Still, this one is relatively active for it being a forum. I also enjoy watching videos and being able to watch things from my phone. My phone is my main and only access to the internet, so I’ve come to appreciate it more.
I love learning, I watch a lot of youtube videos and I've learned so much, specifically about keeping fish and reptiles.
The internet is and amazing resource but you need to be aware of misinformation and know how to check sources.
Living in the rural southern US, it's always been very hard for me to find anything relating to my interests in person, so the internet's a huge help for me in that regard. It's also been great for accessing mental health or LGBTQ+ resources that wouldn't be easily available to me IRL, and lets me find information or reference materials on practically any topic I want, no matter how obscure.
I love Youtube and Twitch for livestreams and let's plays; they're a lot of fun, can make for good company, and have introduced me to games I may never have noticed otherwise. I also very much appreciate the cute animal side of Youtube, and occasionally use it for music as well. I've also relied heavily on Crunchyroll for most of my anime-viewing.
Merch-collecting is another hobby of mine, and considering that I have to order most of what I want from overseas... I'm very grateful for the internet, ahaha. I also like to follow the social media accounts of merch stores that tend to carry things I like, so I have a better chance of catching new releases and pre-orders. I'm also interested in official art of things I like in general, and following official social media accounts for these things is great for that. I've also had a lot of luck finding official art on Pinterest—at least when the algorithm isn't desperately trying to shove random/trending things at me.
Also, gotta mention that I love being able to access video game walkthroughs and tips. ;v; I don't enjoy wandering around aimlessly, missing important stuff, or fearing that I chose a wrong option, so walkthroughs are my best pal. Especially since official guidebooks don't exist for every game, and when they do, often leave out important content or even give you the wrong information...
Google is my best friend! I can't remember the last time I picked up my dictionary or thesaurus! (They are still on my bookshelf. They get used but only occasionally.)
Some days when I think about how I grew up when the internet was non-existent (only black-and-white tv, rotary phones and typewriters), I feel like the transformation this world has been through in the past 50 years has been nothing short of magic.
I like learning new things and the internet is useful for that. I lurk at some subreddits and twitter. Mostly for the eye candy from various fandoms. I lurk at twitch. I used to buy a lot of hobby stuff online, from Amazon and from stores in Japan. In recent years, I've cut down on these expenses. I used to enjoy the physical goods. But, two years ago, when I had to move to a temporary place while the apartment was being renovated, I was appalled by the amount of stuff I'd accumulated. I gave away hundreds of books and boxes of stuff. I've been cutting down since. New habit: I buy only digital manga and digital games now.
I love having so much information easily at my fingertips. I've always loved learning and grew up with sets of encyclopedias in the house, but the internet makes everything so much more convenient. Although, as has already been mentioned, I do have to vet my sources a bit and make sure I'm not falling prey to misinformation. Even still, there's just a wealth of knowledge on every topic available on the internet.
I also love online ordering. It started with ordering things that I couldn't find locally, mostly anime merchandise, but since COVID it has expanded to ordering whatever I can whenever I can versus having to go shopping in a physical store. I've always had social anxiety and being in crowds is extremely overwhelming for me. I went out Christmas shopping locally today and just a few hours had me feeling like I wanted to die. And I only bought things locally for a hand-full of people this year. I don't know how I used to manage back before I did online shopping. Or maybe I've regressed because I haven't been forced to go out and deal with stuff like this as often lately. Either way, I'm still very glad that online shopping exists.
Also, anime. It would be so much harder to watch anime without streaming options available. I remember the days of fan subbed VHS tapes from Japan and swapping them with other like-minded fans because it was the only way to watch most anime in the US.
Definitely having access to information from a wide variety of international sources - it really helps with university assignments to have other sources that aren’t part of course readings. Also, YouTube is great for entertainment and learning how to do things. And sometimes you meet great people or find great deals on items you want to buy.
I love being able to look anything and everything up! I can double check things, and revisit any new information i’ve learned to learn even more
Being able to connect with my friends that live far away is awesome, as is being able to meet new people I prolly wouldn’t have otherwise!
I can get easy access to learning new skills (learning knitting rn with with a knitting community) even when such skills aren’t taught in my area !
The ability to buy things online is a big one. In south east US, it’s hard to find anything that I like (to wear, to own, to collect) but I can get just about anything I want through the internet!
- Watching YouTube, movies, TV shows, and anime.
- Searching some references, ideas for my hobbies, and language learning on Google
- Checking in some virtual pet, creature, or Pokemon adoptable sites
- Going to Google Maps, click on street view, and wow, nice and unusual places!
Like others have mentioned it’s allowed me to access information on my hobbies. I don’t have to fork over $30 just to get unstuck in a video game.
It reinvigorated my interest in reading and watching TV. Having easy access to TV shows makes finding shows within my niche easy. Despite my problems with its reviews, GoodReads has made me motivated to track my reading. I wouldn’t have gotten through so many books these past several months if it weren’t for the internet.
I think the thing I appreciate about the internet the most is the social aspect. As someone with severe social anxiety irl, being able to make friends online has helped me make progress. I’ve been able to connect with dozens of people from all over the world thanks to mutual interests. Not every experience has been positive, but I’m glad I risked it. I think it’s allowed me to grow as a person and step out of shell.
Probably my favorite thing about the internet is that it helps me learn how to do things, like baking, photoshop, sewing, fish-keeping, etc! It's crazy how much great information and tutorials are out there now compared to like 15 years ago.
Shopping online is another one, at the moment I love looking for cool fabrics that I can use.
And then there's the things made more convenient by the internet for socially inept people like me; for example almost all of my visa applications for moving to Australia was done completely online. And I love that I can renew my driver's license online, and cancel subscriptions online; stuff that doesn't require talking on the phone.
Oh man and if it weren't for Maps apps, wow I would be lost, literally, all the time
I like being able to look thinks up quickly. I love seeing things people make through YouTube and learning stuff by YouTube. I like having the ability to talk to people from around the world, and you can practically buy anything because of the internet. Streaming services are also so nice! As a kid, we didn't have internet and when we did for a year or two because of school, its connection wasn't like today. It took forever to connect, load screens, and tied up the phone line. With the kind of connection that exists now, the streaming services are possible.
I also like being able to buy games online, and how numerous indie devs can easily sell their games who may not otherwise because of the internet. The internet really has made the world a smaller and more convient, accessible place.
