Socializing and being entertained doesn’t always have to mean hitting up a bar, hosting a house party, or going to a music festival. Although those classic in-person experiences can never be replicated completely, the digital world has opened up so many opportunities for us to connect and have fun with others. Especially if we’re out of commission with a cold or there’s a snowstorm brewing outside, you don’t have to abandon your plans altogether.
As long as you have an internet connection, you can enjoy countless exciting activities with friends or strangers from around the world. Maybe you want to discuss the latest movies, join a class, or look through a list of the social casinos available for interactive gaming. We’ll go over a bunch of ways you can socialize whenever and wherever you are.
Host A Virtual Game Night
Virtual game nights can range from putting on a headset and joining a Call of Duty squad to hosting a personalized evening of trivia and classic party games with a platform like Jackbox Games. It’s all about who you’re playing with and what the vibe is. The beauty of the internet is that just about any type of game is readily available, whether strategy, word games, horror, or something else altogether.
To make your game night even more personal, arrange for everyone in the group to bring along a snack or cocktail and even put on a costume to fit the theme. Hop on a Zoom or Skype session to complete the evening with real-time conversation and expression.
Start A Watch Party
While there’s lots of merit to watching a TV show or movie on your own, watch parties can create an even more enjoyable shared experience. Platforms like Teleparty make doing so effortless, allowing people to host watch parties on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Disney+, YouTube, and HBO. It incorporates a group chat feature and syncs video playback so everyone’s on the same timestamp.
If you’re a talker during movies, this format will let you share your reactions, comment whenever you feel like it, and hang out with your friends all at the same time.
Participate In A Virtual Fitness Class
Staying active can be difficult even for the fittest of people. Especially if you’re someone who thrives on the energy of others and can’t make the commute to a gym or a class, virtual classes can provide a similar experience. Online fitness classes can connect you one-on-one to certified instructors or bring you into a full-on class with dozens of participants, allowing you to interact and work out with others doing Pilates, strength training, dance, and other types of exercise formats.
Platforms like ClassPass and Nike Training Club have a collection of live and on-demand classes that will get you off the couch and moving.
Sign Up For A Creative Workshop
Want to exercise your creativity instead? Virtual creative workshops are a great way to learn new skills and connect with others. Workshops can range from beginner watercolor painting classes to advanced crochet for those who want to challenge themselves.
Start by picking a medium that draws you in most, like photography, writing, or even cooking. Then, research the options at your disposal, whether a simple live session or the total package. Some classes even include delivery of all the materials you’ll need, which can make the experience even more immersive and straightforward.
In some circumstances, workshops might span several weeks, letting you build relationships with fellow participants.
Explore Online Forums And Communities
While most of these suggestions so far have been virtual face-to-face options, this doesn’t always have to be the case. Online forums and communities let you socialize, discuss, and explore without a camera or microphone in the mix. You could spend hours diving into different topics, hobbies, and interests that enrich your life and engage with like-minded people. Reddit and Quora are two popular forum-based sites that are great for connecting and unwinding.
Users typically go down rabbit holes on Reddit, discovering insights in more serious subreddits (forums) like r/AskScienceFiction to weird and wacky like r/Glitch_in_the_Matrix. On Quora, it’s more about asking and answering questions. The site is a well-known resource where you can share or gain expertise or advice on anything from relationships to personal growth.
Go On A Virtual Trip
Whether you’re limited by finances, time, or even a fear of flying, traveling isn’t always possible for everyone. But thanks to the internet, we can practically visit anywhere we want to. It’s sort of like how telemedicine has changed healthcare for those who can’t access it readily.
While virtual travel won’t mimic the exact same in-person experience, you can still enjoy virtual tours through YouTube, 360-degree views, and, if you’ve got the technology, VR experiences. With a good imagination, you could be dipping your toes in the water at an overwater villa in the Maldives or looking up at Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro.
Many world-class museums, such as the Smithsonian or The British Museum in London, feature online tours and virtual versions of their collections. You could even hop on Google Earth to marvel at the sweeping landscapes and go on Voyages, which are curated tours of the many wonders of the world. And if you happen to have a virtual reality headset, why not download an app like Wander and plop yourself anywhere you like on Earth?