How To Make the Most of Extra Screen Time

These days, it goes almost without saying that anyone with a smartphone spends quite a bit of time on it. Smartphones have become nearly everyone's go-to way to kill extra downtime at work or make that time spent waiting in line at their favorite coffee shop a little less boring. That said, whether you use yours mostly for communicating with family and friends or keeping up with the daily news, you probably spend over three hours every day on your phone. However, you can only waste so many hours playing Angry Birds before you're chomping at the bit for something more enriching to try. The following options are some great ideas for making more of your smartphone screen time.

Learn a Language

Even the most basic smartphone is so much more than just a way to stay in closer contact with family and friends. It also has the potential to become a portable professor capable of teaching you anything you'd like to learn, up to and including a foreign language of your choice. Many modern language learning services like Rosetta Stone, Duolingo, and Memrise have made learning a new language easier than ever with approachable, bite-sized lessons that are easy to tackle on your smartphone whenever you find yourself with a few spare minutes to kill. With a little dedication, you can leverage your daily bus ride home into the ability to speak German, Spanish, Japanese, or any other language that interests you.

Plan a Vacation

Are you and your spouse long overdue for your next romantic weekend getaway? Have you been meaning to cash in some of those airlines miles you've been accumulating for years, but just haven't gotten around to it yet? If you've got a smartphone, you've already got everything you need to start planning the perfect vacation. Do some research on a few locations that interest you. Install a trip planner app like TripAdvisor or Google Trips for easy, simple assistance zeroing in on some awesome things to do once you get there. You can even score a great deal on a casino cruise or Vegas vacation package, and brush up on your poker skills or slot machine instincts first by practicing at a safe, secure online casino.

Find a Support System

Have you ever noticed how just about everything in life becomes both easier and more fun when you have the right support system in your corner? While it's great if you already have that system in your family or social circle, a new group of great people to explore new territory with are never more than a few clicks or swipes away when you have a smartphone in your pocket. What would you finally feel ready to tackle and embrace if you knew you didn't have to do it alone? Would you quit smoking, learn to cook, relocate to a new city, or something else entirely? Let your fingers do the walking, find a great online community or support group dedicated to what you want to do, and get started.

Start a Blog

If you're like most people, the chances are pretty good that when you have something you want to say online, you head straight for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Snapchat and post a quick update or share a couple of relevant memes. While there's definitely nothing wrong with that, it might be time to embrace something a little more substantial -- something that will really let you express yourself properly. All you need to start a blog or a dedicated website these days is a smartphone, a little free time, and some great ideas you feel are worth sharing with the rest of the world. Imagine how much more interesting your Facebook page would become if you were able to fill it with links to some really cool original content of your very own!

Get Organized

Could you stand to be a little more on top of things when it comes to streamlining your life? Your trusty smartphone is packed with possibility when it comes to tools that can make that happen. You can use it to manage your work deadlines, come up with a bill-paying schedule that works for you, or research that new meal plan for family dinners. The possibilities are truly endless, so what are you waiting for? Get started today.