19 Cool Websites to Look at When Bored

Stimulate your mind with these funny, geeky and weird web sites

Your boredom stops here. Below are some of the coolest websites to visit when you need some internet caffeine.

Whether you need to kill some time or you're in the mood to laugh, learn, or be inspired, this list of cool sites is all you need. Add them to your bookmarks and visit often for fresh content.

01
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Bored Panda

BoredPanda website
What We Like
  • Wide range of content topics.

  • Easy to use.

What We Don't Like
  • Ad-heavy.

  • Not all content is factual.

Could the name of this website be any more appropriate? Bored Panda is the place you want to be when you want to discover interesting and visually appealing content.

It's a blog that publishes regular updates on the coolest finds in travel, photography, illustration, animals, DIY, technology, design and all sorts of other great categories. You can also create an account to vote posts up or down.

02
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Brain Pickings

Brain Pickings website
What We Like
  • Loads of content related to art, literature, and science.

  • Content curated from multiple sources.

What We Don't Like
  • Lots of text.

  • Somewhat cluttered appearance.

Boredom doesn't mean you should distract yourself with the simplest and most mind-numbing content out there on the web. Try expanding your knowledge by diving deep into the incredibly useful and thought-provoking blog posts on Brain Pickings, which is a popular blog run by MIT Fellow Maria Popova. She's the one who does all the research and writing for each post.

You can probably expect to find a few good books to add to your reading list just by subscribing to this blog.

03
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TED

TED website
What We Like
  • Cutting edge information.

  • Lectures on an array of topics.

What We Don't Like
  • Video format not always suitable.

  • Unusual rating system.

TED has become a powerful organization in spreading ideas and knowledge. The nonprofit organization hosts conferences around the world where people of all walks of life share their amazing ideas and experiences through short speaking gigs.

If you have a pair of headphones handy, you should definitely check out this site. You can find video talks on practically any subject you're interested in.

04
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Laughing Squid

Laughing Squid website
What We Like
  • Content focused on unique art, culture, and technology finds.

  • Daily email available.

What We Don't Like
  • Actually the blog of a web-hosting service.

  • Basic appearance.

Laughing Squid should be a favorite blog to check out just for all the wacky, inspiring and unbelievable stuff you can find there. You can find all sorts of highly visual posts about art, culture, and technology on this site, most of which are photos and videos.

It's updated with several new posts a day featuring the newest, freshest content. Posts are kept pretty short too, making it perfect for browsing casually.

05
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Vsauce

Vsauce website
What We Like
  • Makes learning fun.

  • Family-friendly.

What We Don't Like
  • Video format not optimal for work or similar situations.

  • Some complex topics.

The Vsauce YouTube channel is an incredibly popular and successful channel (with several spinoff channels) that has attracted over 15 million subscribers. Videos focus on interesting educational content where channel creator Michael Stevens teaches viewers about all sorts of amazing topics, almost resembling a modern-day Bill Nye the Science Guy.

On the Vsauce website, you can browse through and watch videos across all Vsauce channels. 

06
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Oddee

Oddee website
What We Like
  • Lots of unusual content.

  • Articles cite sources.

What We Don't Like
  • Some external links questionable.

  • Ad-heavy.

Love weird stuff? Then you need to check out Oddee, one of the web's largest and most popular blogs featuring the craziest, strangest and most bizarre content you probably won't find anywhere else.

Most posts are numbered lists, complete with lots of photos and videos for you to look at. Categories include art, signs, places, objects, ads, science, medicine, home design, names, people, gifts, stories, tech and more.

07
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Mental Floss

Mental Floss website
What We Like
  • Reliable source of interesting news.

  • Newsletter available.

What We Don't Like
  • Ads can be distracting.

  • Cluttered appearance.

Mental Floss will leave you feeling like you actually learned something during the time you wanted to pass while browsing the web. Describing itself as "the encyclopedia of everything," the site offers content on some of life's most interesting questions.

You can read articles, view lists, watch videos, take quizzes and even brush up on some smart facts with Mental Floss on everything from science to pop culture. So go ahead and expand your knowledge with this one! 

08
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The Useless Web

The Useless Web website
What We Like
  • Easy to use.

  • Funny and simple.

What We Don't Like
  • Very basic.

  • Hit or miss results.

Need a little something more entertaining? The Useless Web is a website that's somewhat similar, except that its only goal is to show you the most pointless websites that exist on the internet. Just click the big pink button to discover one, and it will automatically open in a new tab.

You can even submit one of your own using the link at the bottom if you want.

09
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Giphy

GIPHY website
What We Like
  • Thousands of GIFs.

  • Easy to find trending and new images.

What We Don't Like
  • Cluttered appearance.

  • Search can be glitchy.

Do you like animated GIFs? You know, those images without sound that move for a few seconds and then start all over again? If you do, you'll love Giphy.

Giphy is the Internet's search engine for GIFs. Even if you have nothing to search for, you can just look at what's trending on the front page or spend some time browsing through the categories.

10
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The Oatmeal

The Oatmeal website
What We Like
  • Engaging quizzes and comics.

  • Quirky content.

What We Don't Like
  • Not all content is family-friendly.

  • Some content is repetitive.

Created by Matthew Inman a.k.a. “The Oatmeal,” his popular humor website caters to the avid comic lover and quiz taker. His wacky drawings are mainly based on relatable life situations, education, and crazy stories that would never be possible in real life.

Some of the jokes are a little harsh but all are pretty darn funny.

11
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BuzzFeed

BuzzFeed website
What We Like
  • Fun way to pass time.

  • Shareable content.

What We Don't Like
  • Often considered click-bait.

  • Lots of similar listicles to sift through.

Surely you've heard of BuzzFeed by now. It's only one of the most popular sites online for everything that's viral, newsworthy and even pointless.

You can find everything from fun quizzes and listicles made of GIFs, to breaking news and long-form journalism. If you need some major distraction, BuzzFeed is the place to go.

12
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Explosm

Explosm website
What We Like
  • Unique comics.

  • Fun comic generator.

What We Don't Like
  • Ad-heavy.

  • Limited content.

If webcomics are your thing, then you have to be familiar with Cyanide and Happiness—one of the most popular and funniest webcomics out there.

There's a new webcomic every day, but you can also head on over to the website and press the question mark button over and over again to view random comics.

Keep in mind there's a lot of adult content.

13
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Reddit

Reddit website
What We Like
  • "Subreddits" for nearly every topic.

  • Topical and trending content.

What We Don't Like
  • Some content not suitable for work.

  • Learning curve involved.

Reddit is referred to as "the front page of the internet." It's a community board split up into sections of categories or interests. Users submit links to articles, photos or videos they think are worth sharing, and anyone can upvote them or downvote them.

The most upvoted links get pushed to the top. If StumbleUpon wasn't your thing, Reddit may be a good alternative.

14
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9GAG

9GAG website
What We Like
  • Easy to browse.

  • Shareable content.

What We Don't Like
  • Comments can be rude.

  • Can be buggy.

9GAG is sort of like a visual version of Reddit. It's a community-driven hub for visual content where members of the community upvote and downvote posts so that the best content gets pushed to the top.

Explore the different sections on this site and prepare to have your mind blown! You can also create your own account and start engaging with the community but upvoting what you like, downvoting what you don't like, commenting on posts and even uploading your own content.

15
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Hyperbole and a Half

Hyperbole and a Half website
What We Like
  • Unique comics.

  • Engaging appearance.

What We Don't Like
  • New content no longer added.

  • Some content is lengthy.

Hyperbole and a Half is a Blogger blog that was created by Allie Brosh, a young woman with a talent for telling her left story through detailed Microsoft Paint drawings. She says her blog is not really a webcomic, but it’s not really a blog either.

Whatever it is, it’s a wonderfully colorful and comedic site to browse through. If you love whimsical drawings of dogs, rainbows and other things, then you're bound to really fall in love with this one.

16
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Cracked

Cracked.com website
What We Like
  • Funny and informative

  • New, timely content added often.

What We Don't Like
  • Great deal of political content.

  • Some content isn't safe for work or children.

According to the site's slogan, Cracked is “America’s Only Humor Site Since 1958.” Cracked is famous for its timeless list posts. Columnists and contributing writers craft witty, funny articles on topics ranging from history to TV & movies to internet tech.

It has a hilariously creative video section as well. Although it's a bit less reliant on visual content compared to some of the other sites on this list, the articles on Cracked are well worth reading and sharing again and again.

17
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FAIL Blog

FailBlog website
What We Like
  • Mostly harmless fun.

  • Great deal of unique content.

What We Don't Like
  • Cluttered appearance.

  • Can be difficult to navigate.

The FAIL blog has been around for much longer than a lot of these other sites have, and thanks to its great content, it's still going strong. Part of the I Can Has Cheezburger network, Fail Blog is a site that is most known for its humorous pictures depicting disastrous and often stupid situations.

All photos have the caption “FAIL” included somewhere on the photo. Fail Blog incorporates video into their site in addition to photos.

18
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Autocorrect Fail

Autocorrect Fail website
What We Like
  • Funny fails.

  • Easy to use.

What We Don't Like
  • No longer adding new content.

  • Some content not family-friendly.

If you own a smartphone, you’ve probably had to deal with an extra text or two explaining an accidental word change as a result of your phone’s auto correction.

Autocorrect Fail features tons of funny texts between people who experience all the communication problems that come with auto correct on a mobile device. You might be surprised to discover what kinds of words accidentally pop up after you turn on autocorrect on your mobile device.

19
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Awkward Family Photos

Awkward Family Photos website
What We Like
  • Cringe-worthy humor.

  • Suitable for work or family.

What We Don't Like
  • No way to tell when content was posted.

  • Clunky navigation.

Almost everyone has an old photo from back in the day that is just too embarrassing to look at now. It seems as though families all over the world are all flocking to Awkward Family Photos to submit their hilarious and retro photos there.

From terrible hairdos and outfits to costume-themed family portraits, it’s no surprise that this site is such a huge hit on the internet. Submit your own awkward family photo and see if it pops on the site eventually!

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