THUNDER BAY – The internet is a wonderful tool, designed to allow scholars and scientists to instantly share information with each other. But in the decades of its existence its focus has shifted from sharing knowledge toward providing an endless source of entertainment for its users. And entertainment itself has changed, adapted to the newest way people consume it. And this change reflects in the popular forms of online entertainment in 2015.
Social networks
While I’m not sure it fits into the “entertainment” category completely, social media has become the preferred form of keeping busy for many. Aside from Facebook, the blue monster hovering above the ‘net like a cloud, there are many other, niched, social networks, or emerging apps, competing for our online time.
According to a recent report, social networks account for almost 20% of the time we spent online in 2015. Which is a lot.
Social games
This term is used for games played either through the social networks themselves (especially Facebook) and their mobile counterparts that require players to connect to social networks (especially Facebook). And they have grown a lot in 2015, especially on smartphones. A recent estimate states that more than 60% of smartphone owners play “freemium” games on their handsets, showing a huge growth compared to the previous years.
Online casinos
Online gambling is continuously growing, especially on mobile devices. With operators like Euro Palace making it easy for anyone to get started and play wherever they are, it has extended its reach to millions of people around the world. And their offer is attractive, too. The above mentioned Euro Palace offers $500 in bonuses to its new players, and access to hundreds of high quality games. Besides, it provides its customers with some of the most attractive promotions every month, keeping them coming back for more. Euro Palace is accessible from desktop and mobile devices with the same ease, and might soon release its first virtual reality platform, too.
Live video streaming
When Meerkat was released in early 2015, it sounded like just another startup with a wacky idea. Twitter’s own Periscope followed later, cementing live streaming’s place in the online world. And it has continued to grow – between April and August 2015, Periscope has seen its user base exceed 10 million, and it still continues to grow. By this January, Periscope has seen its 100 millionth live broadcast, and it is here to stay.
Music streaming
Last, but not least, a popular (and lucrative) form of online entertainment: music streaming. While we don’t have any conclusive data at hand, the fact that Google has grabbed its own slice of the pie with Google Music and YouTube Music shows that there is a lot of interest in this form of online fun. Statistics do show, though, that a third of all revenues in the music industry comes from streaming services – which means that it’s incredibly popular.
