Open Thread

Open Thread Update: Your Favorite Online Timewasters

senior woman relaxing on a swing in the garden using digital tablet

By Virge Friday, September 5, 2025 13 Comments Share This:

Last time we asked for favorite online timewasters. Readers like Corrinne C., Leah H. Barbara R. and Susan L. prefer the traditional route of online puzzles and crosswords (including ours, we hope!)

Every morning I do NYTimes puzzles: Spelling Bee, Wordle, Connections, Strands, Mini Crossword. Other online word games Quordle, Octordle, Blossoms. And Instagram YouTube.

-Corinne C.

Reader Susan L. loves cat videos, and Reader Michelle S. offers a very comprehensive mix of fun and utility in her fave picks, so make sure you check out her comment to know more.

Meanwhile Reader Robert enjoys browsing Substack for a variety of topics and viewpoints…and Reader Ellen plays scrabble…against a computer!!

Online puzzles

Reader Ruth suggests a different path…online jigsaw puzzles.

I do online jigsaw puzzles using image files I collect from FaceBook and other sites. It is the perfect “mindless” activity that gets me off my mental train of thought.

Facebook Reels

Two readers are fans of Facebook Reels (a short-form video-sharing platform with music, audio and artificial effects). Reader Mary Lou is a big Friends fan (who isn’t?) but Reader Jane is a power user. with a ton of faves like The Passinis…

My most recent online time wasters are the “reels” on Facebook! I get hypnotized and there’s always just one more. . . . I check “follow” on ones I like and that brings me more of them….The list keeps growing. Caution: could lead to greater screen addiction!

…check out her comment for more!

We’ll keep the comments open for another week so you can add your thoughts and faves, and thanks, everyone who contributed thus far!

Original Column:

Technology is a useful and awesome tool that can do so much – help research almost any topic, demonstrate any number of DIY projects, learn languages and so much more.

But sometimes, don’t you just want to take a break and get some mindless entertainment?

I do. When I need a break – or a laugh – I search for some brief, fun to watch and/or read websites. Here are my favorites:

The Brick Experiment Channel

This mad genius with a fondness for LEGO’s does nerdy experiments with LEGOs. I love the work by this engineer in Finland. You must visit his website to see his work (he is quite adamant about his intellectual property) but I guarantee that you will be completely won over by the charm and ingenuity of his constructions. He even manages to give them personalities. Check out “Five LEGO Walkers vs. Seven Obstacles.” To learn more, visit here.

Four German Shepherds Review Food

This has been one of my favorite go-to’s when I need a little break. The owner of these four ‘housewolfs” films her dogs as they sample (or reject) everything from broccoli (mixed reviews) to blueberries, to every kind of meat imaginable It’s fascinating to see their different personalities: Jade, who eats everything – even vegetables and fruits – in two bites and looks for more, to the discriminating Jasper, who will give a few experimental licks before declining fish, and who chews everything very thoroughly while his siblings wait patiently for the next tidbit, to Jet, who pretty much only eats meat, and to the newest, Onyx, who will eat everything but prefers to do it from the floor.

KLR Productions

This Youtube channel with more than 4 million subscribers takes watcher-submitted videos and creates dialog, situations and even characters – Gary of the Raccoon Federation, Inspector Otter and Larry, and the Cat Alliance (with the ‘cattynip cattynip’ chant) vs. the Dog Kingdom. New content is added each week and each one is a keeper.

Crosswords

And of course, there’s always the Senior Planet Crossword, appearing the 2nd Sunday of the month. Here’s the latest!

YOU TURN

But that’s me. What are your favorite online timewasters? Share your faves in the comments!

Virge Randall is Senior Planet’s Managing Editor. She is also a freelance culture reporter who seeks out hidden gems and unsung (or undersung) treasures for Straus Newspapers and blogs about New York City life. Send your “Open Thread” suggestions to editor@seniorplanet.org.

COMMENTS

13 responses to “Open Thread Update: Your Favorite Online Timewasters”

Renee F:

Tuesday, September 9, 2025 at 9:54pm

Watching short dramas on Facebook. Really like the vertical actors.

Reply to Renee F
Ellen Ross:

Thursday, September 4, 2025 at 12:19am

I’m obsessive about the midnight release of the NY Times word games- the mini crossword, wordle, connections, strands, and tiles. At 3am we get the new spelling bee and letterboxed. Then I can go to bed. Of course, during the day there’s also dictionary.com’s outspell – playing scrabble against a computer. And just for fun, bored panda – a wonderful subreddit (if you don’t mind their puerile censorship!)

Reply to Ellen Ross
Robert Ettinger:

Wednesday, September 3, 2025 at 2:23pm

Substack – pick any topic or writer I like and I can’t stop paging through the comments and steering off into some other string of contributions from a wide divergent audience with interesting points of view.

Reply to Robert Ettinger
Barbara:

Wednesday, September 3, 2025 at 9:21am

Online puzzles: NYT Wordle, sudoku, NYT connections, jigsaw puzzles, karaoke, solitaire. Facebook reels. All on my tablet.

Reply to Barbara
Virginia Small:

Tuesday, September 2, 2025 at 1:42pm

You Tube is my go to in the evenings. I watch gamers, and movie reviewers. But my favorites are people who make stuff: Artists, crafters, art journalers, and the like. Occasionally I’ll fall down a rabbit hole watching people fix and shoe horses with messed up hooves or groom dogs that haven’t ever seen a groomer, or watch an antique restored to life. But then I go back to my usuals.

Reply to Virginia Small
Corinne Curcio:

Wednesday, August 27, 2025 at 5:16am

Every morning I do NYTimes puzzles: Spelling Bee, Wordle, Connections, Strands, Mini Crossword. Other online word games Quordle, Octordle, Blossoms. And Instagram YouTube

Reply to Corinne Curcio
Leah Hodges:

Tuesday, August 26, 2025 at 7:41pm

I like Dot to Dot puzzle
Word search puzzle
Color by number

Reply to Leah Hodges
Ruth:

Sunday, August 24, 2025 at 4:23pm

I do online jigsaw puzzles using image files I collect from FaceBook and other sites. It is the perfect “mindless” activity that gets me off my mental train of thought. This is the site I use. They have many puzzles available as well as the link to upload a jpeg file.

Reply to Ruth
1. Rebecca Lemos:
  
  Thursday, September 4, 2025 at 8:31am
  
  What is the site you use, please?
  
  Reply to Rebecca Lemos
Susan Lord:

Sunday, August 24, 2025 at 2:55pm

Love cat videos. Card games: solitare, hearts, free cell. Word search. Crosswords.

Reply to Susan Lord
Jane Guard:

Saturday, August 23, 2025 at 5:00pm

My most recent online time wasters are the “reels” on Facebook! I get hypnotized and there’s always just one more. . . . I check “follow” on ones I like and that brings me more of them.
Here are some of the ones I follow:
History with Amy
The Passinis
Story Corps
The Good News Girl
Swisher 3X
Global Arts and Culture Community
Artlust
The list keeps growing.
Caution: could lead to greater screen addiction!

Reply to Jane Guard
Mary Lou Wachsmith:

Friday, August 22, 2025 at 4:36pm

Short reels from the old sitcom Friends. Nothing makes me laugh the way those four do.

Reply to Mary Lou Wachsmith
Michele Slater:

Tuesday, August 19, 2025 at 3:45pm

YouTube:
Oliver the Beagle…so intelligent and handsome. Love to see
his perspective as he travels with his owner.
Travel Vlogs…cruise takers, train takers, foodie lovers.
The Deal Guy… he goes to stores and tells you all the
great deals. He also tries the products so you can see it
for yourself.
Music or artist reaction videos…the Millennials, Gen X and Gen Z’s reactions to music and artists we grew up listening to.
Cooking Videos…Pick up Limes and Allrecipes.

Reply to Michele Slater

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