18 Fun Computer and Technology Hobbies
When it comes to fun activities you can do on your computer the possibilities range way farther than playing Candy Crush or Poker on Facebook.
Computer hobbies possess an amazing trait that not many other kinds of hobbies do, and that is the ability to mix fun, creativity and productivity in one single activity.
In this article, you will find all kinds of hobbies you can do on a computer. Some will challenge you, others will perhaps even glue you to your computer for hours on end.
The hobbies in this article include everything from extremely addicting video games to creative outlets and even some money-making opportunities you can take on!
Computer Hobbies that Can Make Money
In today’s modern world money-making opportunities are everywhere, with many of them being just a couple of clicks away on your computer. The fun part is that you can make money from almost any activity on the computer if you get good enough.
These are some of the most common hobbies people take on to make money:
1. Blogging
Blogging is perfect if you are good at writing, and have something interesting to write about. After a while, if your content is interesting enough, people will start visiting your blog and you will be able to monetize it. If you’re not a good writer you can even outsource it.
Start by choosing what you will write about, and starting a blog on one of the following platforms:
- WordPress
- Wix
- Blogger
- Medium
- Squarespace
- Web.com
- Weebly
- Ghost
2. Creating Content on Youtube
It’s no secret that successful YouTubers make insane amounts of money, but what people don’t realize is that most of them started their YouTube careers as hobbies. Something that you’re now looking for!
Depending on the niche, YouTube pays anywhere between $0.10 to $0.30 per ad view on your videos. Or to $3 – $5 per 1000 video views. If you are a naturally charismatic person, then this is the perfect hobby for you.
To start you may need to invest some money into a good microphone or perhaps even a camera, but chances are the camera on your phone is good enough. Think about what you want your channel to be and just start.
3. Coding
Coding is the definition of a computer-related hobby. Everything you see on your screen was built with code. Code is the building block of modern technology, and it can be used for anything ranging from creating video games, websites, mobile apps, and all types of software.
With so many uses, there is money to be made in every corner. Coding can be extremely fun for people that like solving puzzles and using logic. To get started simply go on YouTube and search for some free tutorials and courses.
4. Video Editing
Videos have been taking over the internet for the past 10 years. People get fascinated very easily by fast-paced and skillfully edited clips. Thus, video editors are always in high demand.
With video editing, there is also a great creative aspect at play since there are so many different things you can do with a sequence of clips. It’s also very easy to learn, and there are tons of free courses and tutorials you can use on youtube.com.
Some of the best free video editing programs are:
- DaVinci Resolve
- Lightworks
- KineMaster
- iMovie
- Openshot
5. Graphic Design
Graphic design is the practice of creating images and visual content in order to communicate a certain message. As a hobby, the fun part of graphic design is the creative aspect. All you need is an idea and Photoshop. You can also try Krita as a free alternative.
To get started you can pick up on some tutorials on YouTube. After you get the hang of it you can try and monetize your newfound hobby on freelancing websites like Upwork.com or Fiverr.com.
6. Create T-shirts and Sell Them
There are a few ways you can make money from graphic design and creating custom T-shirt designs is one of them. It’s called print on demand.
As the designer, all you have to do is create unique designs and upload them to POD websites. They will handle everything from production to shipping and delivery. For every sale you make, they give you a cut of the profit.
Print on demand websites you can get started on:
- Redbubble.com
- TeePublic.com
- 99Designs.com
- CafePress.com
- Teespring
7. Playing Crypto Games
Imagine playing video games and instantly making money. Well, thanks to cryptocurrencies, play to earn video games are now a thing.
These games aren’t just some boring projects created for the sake of innovation. They have unique levelling systems and stories and have pretty advanced systems put in place to make the games extremely stimulating and fun.
All you need to start is a crypto wallet (you can use Metamask), and some of the games require you to buy a bit of crypto to get started (a few bucks).
Some of the most popular pay to earn crypto games are:
- Aavegotchi
- Axie Infinity
- Splinterlands
- Crazy defense heroes
- Blankos block party
- Revv racing
- The sandbox (VR)
- Gods Unchained
- Sorare
8. Learning Social Media Marketing
Most of the time spent on social media is wasted on mindless scrolling. Sometimes it’s not even fun, we just can’t help it due to the addictive nature of social media networks.
But there is a more productive way to spend your time on social media. Marketing is one of the highest-paid skills these days, and social media is one of the main channels.
You can start by watching some videos on YouTube, and if you find it interesting, you can buy a cheap course on udemy.com.
One of the easiest concepts is running Instagram pages. Like a meme page for example.
Artistic and Creative Computer Hobbies
Creative hobbies are the most common types of hobbies people have, and for a good reason. They’re fun! When it comes to creative activities that can be done from your computer, these are your main options.
9. Digital Art
Digital art is great for people that are good at drawing and putting ideas on paper but to get started you do need some equipment first. You can buy a cheap graphics tablet from Ebay.com, and start drawing on Photoshop or Krita (free alternative).
10. 3D modelling
3D modeling is another fun hobby you can do from your computer. 3D models are used everywhere – in architecture, video games, virtual reality, movies, ads, etc. It’s a great hobby to take up because it relies very heavily on creativity.
To start creating 3D models all you need is a program called Blender. Which you can download for free through Steam.
This is also one of the more challenging hobbies on this list. It requires learning quite a bit of technical stuff, but you can find a lot of free tutorials on YouTube. If you start with simple tasks, you’ll very quickly get the hang of it.
11. Creating Music
In today’s world, most of the music you hear was created digitally. Genres like techno, trance, house and even pop and rap heavily depend on computer software and are called electronic music.
Most producers use FL Studio. Anyone can get started with it for free. As for learning resources, visit YouTube and search through Reddit.
Addictive Computer Hobbies
12. Playing Competitive Online Games
Video games are the most classic computer hobby out there. People love games, they’re fun, and most of the time extremely addictive although once you beat a game, there’s not much left to do.
This is why I have created a list of the most popular competitive online games, where the only goal is to be better than other players.
Some of the most popular online games include:
- Apex Legends
- Counter-Strike Global Offensive
- Dota 2
- League of Legends
- Overwatch
- Heartstone
- COD
- Tekken 7
13. Speedrunning
“Speedrunning” a game means beating it as fast as possible. It’s that simple. But also very, very hard. The speedrunning community is very big, and there are a lot of passionate players that devote hours of their time to beat other players’ records.
You can visit r/speedrunning to see what it’s all about. Beware though, as taking up speedrunning as a hobby can leave you spending hours on end in front of your computer. It’s a very fun and competitive space.
14. Playing Open World Games
Most video games have a storyline – that once you complete the game is over, and you’re left with nothing to do.
Open world games are a concept where the story exists within the game, but it does not define it. As there are lots of things to do as the character in the game world.
Some of the best open-world games are:
- GTA franchise
- The Witcher franchise
- Minecraft
- Terraria
- Saints Row franchise
- Batman Arkham games
- Assassins Creed games
Productive Computer Hobbies
15. Researching Topics of Interest
Learning as a hobby. Learning is one of the most interesting activities when you chose what to learn yourself. In school we’re told what to learn for most of our early lives, so we automatically associate any type of learning with boredom which is not the case.
Start by writing down 10-15 topics that interest you, then open up your laptop and start digging through the net!
16. Learning a New Language
People are always fascinated by polyglots (people that know and speak several languages). And language learning is extremely fun. There are tons of free resources out there, plus unique ways to practice like watching TV shows where the language you’re learning is spoken.
You can get started by browsing for courses on YouTube, a great channel you can check out is Ikenna. There are also tons of free apps you can get, one of them is Duolingo.
17. Repairing Computers
Computer repair is a skill that can be learned by trying it. Whether it’s hardware or software, trying it out is the best way to learn. Videos online can help and trial and error will teach you may of the things you’ll need to know.
18. Assembling New Computers
If you’re looking for a new desktop computer, why not build your own? Purchasing parts individually and putting it together will not only give you the satisfaction you deserve, but will also give you the custom performance you need just the way you designed it.
Computers as a Hobby
When it comes to modern computers and technology, there are so many options as to what you can do. Whether you’re looking to make friends or make money, the sky is the limit. Try these different hobbies and there’s no doubt you’ll find something interesting along the way. As with anything though, if at first you don’t succeed, don’t be discouraged.