In today’s digital world there are several hobbies that can be accessed through a smart device and provided you have an internet connection. Usually, their main objective is to provide for a distraction or entertainment in our leisure time, but there is always a target market that likes to indulge in online activities a little further and seek to ripe more benefits out of it. One of the most sought-after aspects in this sense is that of exercising the mind, something that can take a simple leisure activity an turn it into an exercise of productivity.
With the examples we will detail below, users can see how different types of online entertainment work on memory, concentration or logic. At the same time, it is possible to work on skills in the fields of strategy, stimulation of the imagination or with more specialised objectives such as to delay the onset of neurodegenerative diseases. And the best part of many of these virutal hobbies is that you can indulge them from the total comfort of home and even being able to socialize and interact with other users thanks to an Internet connection.
Games That Involve Strategy
One of the most in-demand activities in recent years is chess, now widely played online. Known as the ultimate mind sport, chess has millions of active online players around the globe.
Success in the game requires both anticipating an opponent’s moves as much as possible and trying to anticipate the opponents moves. Players must recognize behavioral patterns in the moves of their rivals, something which comes with experience and learning of predefined strategies and openings.
Strategy also plays a big role in online casino games like blackjack or slots, even though they are primarily games of chance. Such games teach players how to manage a bankroll and familiarize with terms such as RTP (Return to Player) percentages in order to maximize their chances of winning over time. Additionally, understanding bonus features, and how to best make use of popular online casino promotions like free spins can help players maximise their earnings and improve their overall gaming experience at the same time as they train their cognitive skills.
Mathematical and Linguistic Challenges
Mathematics has always been a valuable tool for enhancing analytical skills and solving complex situations. Beyond school subjects, certain pastimes, like sudoku, have captivated a wide audience for many years. Sudoku not only improves logical thinking but also requires full concentration from start to finish. Players must avoid frustration and minimize mistakes, as a single error can force them to start over.
In the field of linguistic challenges, we can find traditional games like Scrabble or crossword puzzles; the former as a board game, while the latter is a classic newspaper entertainment. Both are closely linked to vocabulary and cultural knowledge, as they involve having a good lexicon and knowing how to use it in very specific contexts, determined by a specific number of squares or letters. Both games have found a tremendous success in their online versions with millions of players around the world playing we browser versions of these games on top of the mobile apps available to play on-the-go. Needless to say that one of the practices that helps to improve all the skills needed to perform in these games is undoubtedly reading, which again is a practice that has also evolved from the offline realm to have a central place in digital platforms.
Exercising Memory And Mental Agility
Memory is an aspect that cannot be neglected. Even big-tech companies have brought out games to work on it. They are usually very simple pastimes, suitable for all ages and increasing the level of difficulty as they are overcome. There are several examples, but they all have the same objective in common which is that of exercising our brains in the field of memory improvement. Visual appealing is also very important in these games. They’re designed with advanced graphics and a user-interface that inspires players to keep playing.
Apps like Lumosity or Elevate, allow users to exercise their brains with different mini-games. After a short interview to build the profile of the player, different activities are recommended depending on the area to be strengthened. And apart from memory capacity, they focus on a vast array of aspects such as speed, concentration, problem solving or reading comprehension. Whether you are a student or an older adult, these are definitely some leisure time practices in which investing time is worthwhile.
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