The ubiquity of technology and the ever expanding digital landscape keep bringing about new opportunities for both individuals and organizations. For an adult end-user, or anyone over age of 18 in this digital age, this means more professional opportunities, better access to educational institutions and, of course, more fun!
As opposed to previous generations, today’s surfer doesn’t have to travel in order to meet his or her international peers or business associates. If you decide to change a career in your 50s, you can easily earn an online diploma or start freelancing. More importantly, you can find resources to start your own small business online or finally meet a potential life partner. Of course, these are just some of the things you can do online and the year ahead of us is probably going to bring even more.
Let’s look at some of the most important trends online adults will enjoy for the next 12 months and beyond.
Meet new people - online dating is no longer taboo.
An obvious advantage of being able to connect and communicate in the global village is the fact you can more easily find that special someone. Just think about how many lousy offline dates you’d have to go through before you actually meet someone worth of your intentions. Online, its’ much easier to connect with the people who share the same interests, start a casual communication and build a more serious relationship if both of you feel that’s the right way to go.
This precisely is what has made online dating so popular and now practically mainstream. Namely, Pew Internet Research revealed that 11% of all the U.S. adults have used a dating site or an app, with 23% of those saying they’ve found a spouse or long-term relationship through these sites. If you’re still single and want to find a soul mate, online dating websites don’t care about your age and are no longer taboo. Check out the popular OK Cupid app or DatingBuddies and choose your preferred way to communicate.
Have fun – the adult entertainment industry is stronger than ever.
Let’s face it – most people still see and use the Internet as a form of entertainment.
While it’s true that the web has long evolved into a business and education resource, the entertainment industry still dominates it. In fact, after a brief slowdown over the last few years, the industry is expected to flourish with the boom of mobile devices. Now already a $97 billion industry according to some estimates, adult digital entertainment is only going to grow bigger as more people start exploring it from their smartphones and tablets. In fact, Juniper research predicted that by 2017, a quarter of a billion people will be accessing mobile adult content from their phones or tablets (30% up from 2013), while mobile adult video chat or live cams alone will see an annual growth of 25%.
Obviously, if you regularly enjoy this form of entertainment, you’re not alone. Billions of other people are looking at the same types or content as you, and there’ll be even more of that in 2016!
Start your own business with online resources.
If you’ve always dreamed of starting your own small business, the year 2016 is the right time to do it. With the availability of free online resources and advanced software tools, starting an online business has never been easier. Even creating a website no longer requires extensive technical skills, but rather research. With WordPress as the simplest and the most intuitive web content management solution, website builders, free hosting services and YouTube tutorials, virtually anyone can become and online merchant or business owner.
What’s more, the creative adults who have found a way to merge business and pleasure can consider building an entertainment website and earn from consumer subscriptions or affiliate programs! If this sounds like a great idea to you, you might want to check out how CCBill supports online merchants to get a clearer picture of your business potential.
Gain new skills.
In addition to the two aspects described above, personal and professional improvement are among the fields that greatly changed with the development of the Internet. Today, you have the best online education resources at your disposal to finally become a pro in the field you like.
This is particularly important for those who want to improve their language or tech skills in order to be able to work remotely, either as freelancers or external consultants in an international company. For the newbie entrepreneurs, there are loads of materials that help in improving the necessary skills for creating a new empire. Some of the best resources for this type of improvement are edX and Coursera, whose popularity has grown considerably over the last few years, mainly thanks to the quality of courses they offer. If you have entrepreneurial ambitions for 2016, these could be the right resources for you.
It somehow feels good to be an adult in 2016, doesn’t it?
Where on the web will you be spending your time this year?
