As the basic handset evolves to become the smartphone we have today, it has become our companion that keeps us informed and entertained. However, with the presence of social media and games in our smartphones, it can be a distraction and we may spend more time on the phone than its primary purpose.
There is no doubt that smartphones have been an integral part of our lives, but apart from connecting us to others or playing some games, there are other beneficial ways one can utilize their smartphones. So next time you have the urge to open a social media app, do something productive instead!
Here are some ideas on using your phone for other things apart from being a distraction.
Learn a new language
Instead of scrolling through social media all day, have you considered the possibility of learning a new language? With a smartphone, you do not need to go out there to find a tutor. You can just download an app or visit an online language learning website and learn their lesson. Of course, you may or may not need to spend depending on where you take your lessons from.
There are many websites that provide free content on learning the basics of many spoken languages.
Learn a new skill or hobby
With sites like YouTube, Vimeo, and the rest, there is an endless pool of things to watch; from celebrity gossips to the latest music video, it’s easy to stay glued to your smartphone all day. However, instead of just watching videos all day, you can also learn something from them.
For example, if you aspire to be a musician or a singer, there are plenty of sites that offer free tutorials and lessons on how to play an instrument. You can start learning a new instrument through one of the many tutorial videos available on YouTube. You can download some audio lessons and practice them offline as well. With time, learning an instrument becomes easier and eventually, you can play your favorite song. There is such a variety of such things online, so do not limit yourself to a specific type of content.
If you are interested in cooking, then you can use YouTube or Instagram to get free recipes and tutorials on how to cook that delicious chocolate cake.
An alternative way of learning new skills is to download free mobile apps that teach these things.
Catch up on your reading habit
We all know that it is recommended that one reads at least 30 minutes daily, but unfortunately, many people lack the time to read their favorite novels. A solution for this is, of course, to download the book on your smartphone and read it during downtime.
A downside can be that smartphone screens are usually small, but if that does not bother you, then feel free to catch up reading books or magazines on your mobile phone. You can also use an app called Instapaper or Pocket to save articles you want to read later.
If reading is not your thing, then how about catching up on comics? There are lots of websites that offer free comic books in Pdf format which you can download for free for offline viewing. You can install an app called Crunchyroll Manga Reader and read manga the same way.
Draw or Paint
Your smartphone can also be used as a drawing board or an art canvas for painting purposes. There are apps that do the job so you do not need to buy expensive paper and pencils anymore. Procreate is a prime example of such applications. Who knows, you might even end up being a professional digital artist earning money off this hobby with time.
There are many videos online that show step-by-step tutorials on how to draw certain things. So why not try them out on your smartphone? If you do not like videos, there are several step-by-step drawing books available online, too, for free.
Earn some money with your phone
Yes, you read that right. There are apps available on the Android store that pay money for completing simple tasks. This is perfect if you want to earn some money while you are traveling.
If you are having some spare time, you can complete short surveys or use your phone’s GPS capability to collect data. There are several apps that provide cash rewards for completing tasks like these. You can also download an app called Taskbucks which makes earning free cash very easy. Google Opinion Rewards is also a good way to earn some Play Store credit while giving your opinion through surveys. Then there are sites like Opinion Outpost which let you earn money for surveys as well.
Investing your time in something that earns you passive income is the best way to use your smartphone for making money. There are many apps like StashAway or Acorns that help people invest their savings by rounding up their purchase price and putting that amount into an investment portfolio.
If you’re into stocks trading and stuff, the Robinhood app should be on your phone.
Start a course and earn certification
There are many courses that one can take online. All you need is a stable internet connection, a laptop or mobile phone, and, if required, some basic study material.
There is a platform called Coursera that lets users take classes from several top universities all around the world. Anyone can join in anytime to take their courses for free or for a fee.
Some of the courses even give certificates of completion. You can use edX to take online courses from prestigious universities like MIT, Harvard, or Stanford and at the end of the course, you get a certificate.
You can also use Udemy which has more than 45,000 video tutorials available in various categories that you can choose from.
There are also some mobile apps like Udacity which uses videos on your mobile device to teach you new things about coding or programming languages. You can also learn how to build mobile apps using this app.
Final words
As you can see, your smartphone is more than what you make it out to be. There are many ways in which a phone helps people earn money and spend their free time productively.
Apart from these apps, there are so many other things you can do with your smartphone to make the most of it. One just has to be creative and figure out what is perfect for them. So next time you find yourself scrolling mindlessly through social media or struggling to beat that game level, think of something better and more productive you should be doing and get started.
