- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
Life online has become an integral part of our existence. The first thing we do when we need something is to turn to the internet for help, knowing that the answers are just a few keystrokes away.
Most of our work happens online, whether it’s related to communication, operations or research. We do homework, ask for directions, shop, and cook with the help of the web. However, there is one thing that most of us are happiest to find online and that is entertainment. With incessant technological advances, it is easier than ever to engage in thrilling activities such as gaming, listening to music, watching videos, and scrolling through numerous social networks. Let’s take a look at what the most popular forms of online entertainment out there are.
Video Streaming
YouTube has established itself as a video streaming platform with the most variety. Instructional videos, music clips, promotions, trailers, historical footage, countless documentaries, and funny home videos all found their place there. When you’re not watching YouTube content, you can spend time making your own footage to promote your business, or better yet – yourself. The advantages of this platform are reflected in its reach and ability to easily share content, not to mention the fact that it is completely free. When it comes to more serious entertainment, movies and TV shows, more and more services are competing for your hard-earned cash today than ever before. Notable players in this arena are Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Video, and (most recently) Disney+, are offering viewers the opportunity to binge-watch their favorite series whenever and wherever they are, be it on a smart TV, phone or computer.
Online Betting
Online betting is taking the lead and quickly rising towards the top of the popularity list, especially in light of recent worldwide events. Avid punters can now scratch that betting itch within seconds and have their pick of countless betting spots available, all from the comfort of their own homes. With some of the best betting sites only a click away, it’s helpful to have a browse online, see how the vendors are rated and which is the most suitable one for your needs and wishes. Be mindful of the various different (free) bonuses and promotions that are offered, and see to maximize your chances of winning by utilizing these accordingly. Whichever site you ultimately decide on, be sure to always read the small print before committing to play.
Online Video Games
Video games have been enticing players since the 1970s, where, even with simple, pixelated graphics they kept us entertained for hours. Fast-forwarding to the present, technological advancements have made it possible for us to come together virtually and play online, in real-time. Both children and adults interact in online multiplayer games, building a whole new experience on the web. One of the most played video games is League of Legends, which had a reported 12 million daily players in 2013 alone. The runner up title goes to Hearthstone, an online collectible card game users can enjoy for free. World of Warcraft, for instance, is another renowned game which has managed to accumulate more than 5.5 million subscriptions in just ten years.
Social Media
One reason the majority of people go online on a daily basis is to check out their social media profiles. The popularity of social networks hasn’t dwindled since the beginning of the 2000s and today billions of users actively enjoy not one, but very often, several platforms. Facebook is still in the lead as the most popular one, followed by the aforementioned YouTube. Instagram has a reported 800 million users while Twitter boasts around about 330 million. The reason for their almost addictive nature is that they allow people to stay connected in a time when there is little or no time to socialize, in person. Apart from staying in touch with friends and making new ones, social networks offer opportunities for shopping, gaming, business development, promotion and education, just to name a few.
Streaming Music
Few can probably remember the days when we had to wait for our favorite song to come on the radio or TV, or for an album to be released on actual physical media. CD burning, MP3 players and mixtapes have become a thing of the past and today all we need is our smartphone to get our musical kick. There are so many different sites and apps for streaming tunes online, allowing immediate access to your most loved songs at all times. YouTube, although not originally created for music, now holds about 46% of the total music streaming worldwide. Spotify and Apple Music are becoming increasingly popular, allowing you to download the tunes you want and create playlists so you can enjoy them even when you’re not online.
The choice of entertainment you can have online is vast and there is surely something for everybody. The age of information has allowed us to have everything we need at our fingertips, especially when it comes to entertainment. Online content is continually being created and tailored to satisfy the needs of countless consumers and their ever-changing tastes. With technological advancements pushing us forward, our choice of online entertainment can only expand in the coming years.
More Stories Like This
Culture Shock Festival Will Debut in Rapid City April 15Eiteljorg Museum Appoints New President, CEO
Illuminative Launches Podcast about the Crimes of Indian Boarding Schools
Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana Set to Celebrate 25th Annual Powwow May 20 & 21
WATCH: Native Bidaské with ‘Prey’ Producer Jhane Myers (Blackfeet & Comanche)
12 years of Native News
This month, we celebrate our 12th year of delivering Native News to readers throughout Indian Country and beyond. For the past dozen years, we’ve covered the most important news stories that are usually overlooked by other media. From the protests at Standing Rock and the rise of the American Indian Movement (AIM), to the ongoing epidemic of Murdered and Missing Indigenous People (MMIP) and the past-due reckoning related to assimilation, cultural genocide and Indian Boarding Schools.
Our news is free for everyone to read, but it is not free to produce. That’s why we’re asking you to make a donation this month to help support our efforts. Any contribution — big or small — helps. If you’re in a position to do so, we ask you to consider making a recurring donation of $12 per month to help us remain a force for change in Indian Country and to tell the stories that are so often ignored, erased or overlooked.
Donate to Native News Online today and support independent Indigenous journalism. Thank you.
