There’s more computing power in your smartphone than in the ship that took men to the Moon in 1969. Back then, if people wanted to look something up they had to visit a library. Now, with an internet-enabled phone, you can access much of the world’s knowledge. You also have a far wider range of activities available to you than any astronaut might’ve thought possible in 1969.
Numbers
This pocket computer with its internet connection is a powerful tool. Not only can you use it to communicate with others, take photos and videos, and find your way on a map, but you can also use it to benefit your brain. That’s right, your phone can help the other “computer” you carry around with you!
Get back in touch with numbers
Numbers are everywhere, as you’ll know when you do your budget or measure up a room. But unless we work in jobs that need arithmetic, few of us spend much time around maths. Your phone can help you here! Playing slots online is one way to immerse yourself in calculations. You see, nearly all slot games are based around symbols with numerical values attached. As you progress through a game you could see these values altered, added together, or multiplied. You won’t need to do these sums yourself, but understanding what’s happening in slots does involve paying attention to the numbers.
Another way to get in touch with numbers is to take a coding course online. This isn’t really maths but it’s still very numerical. Websites and apps are run with computing languages known as code. You’ll probably recognise the names of some of these languages. They include HTML, Java, and C++. Like human languages, codes have vocabulary and grammar. However, they consist of strings of numbers, letters, symbols, and occasional words in English. You won’t need to do many sums, particularly on a beginner’s course, but you will need to get comfortable with numbers.
Get back in touch with languages
If you’d rather explore human languages, your phone can help here too. In recent years there’s been an explosion in language courses online. Lessons often involve a combination of seeing pictures, listening to words, speaking into the mic, multiple choice quizzes, and typing short sentences. Their highly interactive nature helps some adults learn grammar and vocabulary far more quickly than they would do with books.
You’ll find that most of the world’s widely spoken languages can be studied online in this way. If you’re hoping to learn a less commonly spoken language it’s hit and miss whether you’ll spot online lessons. Some minority lingos, such as Welsh, are well catered for on these platforms because learners have demanded them. For other languages, it’s a good idea to seek out websites run by the communities those languages come from. These websites sometimes host short courses put online by native speakers and might highlight online projects to preserve the language.
There are also many websites where you can sign up for lessons with tutors via webcam. Thanks to the internet’s almost global reach, it’s possible you’ll be able to find native speakers who live in countries where the language you’re learning is spoken. This can be particularly useful when you’re hoping to learn a minority language.
There’s more to explore online
Even if these suggestions don’t appeal, you'll certainly uncover other ways to use your phone to benefit your brain. For example, many subjects are available to explore in online MOOCs (massive open online courses). Quite a few of these courses let you attend for free, provided you don't mind not receiving a completion certificate.
Once you start looking, you’ll discover lots of websites and apps where you can challenge your brain with puzzles based on words, numbers, or pictures. And if all else fails, you can even use your phone to find instructions or shop online for a hobby you’d like to try off the internet!
Tagged in Smartphones