As Bruno Mars once said, “Today I don’t feel like doing anything.” We all have those lazy days when we do absolutely nothing but stare at our phones, hoping that the black hole of technology will swallow us up and never let go. And yes, using WeChat to pass the time has become overrated. Nevertheless, after some intense digging into the lives of Beijing’s teens, these are the top apps we use to practice procrastination at its finest.
开心消消乐 aka the Chinese Candy Crush
This is a classic elimination game in which players knock out rows of three or more animals of the same color by connecting them in a straight line. There are four templates for the game: score clearance, specified elimination, golden pods, and cloud levels. There are also special tools such as bombs and firecrackers that can eliminate larger groups of animals. With endless levels, weekly and monthly competitions, and special themes for specific holidays (like Christmas and Valentine’s Day), this crazy addictive game is the perfect way to kill time.
Wordscapes
Unlike classic word-based games, Wordscapes is the perfect fit for fans of crossword, word connect, and word anagram challenges. It combines the best of all of them, making it the ideal choice for any logophile. What’s more, there’s also a seemingly endless amount of levels set in gorgeous landscapes and a progress tracker. Competitions kick off at the start of each season, and you can even form a team with your friends and compete with other anagram fanatics around the world!
快看漫画 aka the Chinese Webtoon
With an extensive library of comics to scroll through, KuaiKan is the perfect app for avid readers. It has comics in English, Chinese, Korean, and even Japanese covering a variety of genres including Chinese dynasty comics, idol drama comics, youth comics, and even mythological comics. It’s worth noting that some comics and authors require a KuaiKan membership that runs RMB 15 per month, however, most of the mangas are free. Lastly, the platform has a floating comments feature that allows you to see what your fellow manga addicts are saying about the story. Just watch out for spoilers!
Taobao
Window shopping definitely applies to e-commerce as well, as teens are known to spend a large chunk of their 24 hour day simply scrolling through stores on Taobao. With a variety of retailers, items, and products, Taobao is super user-friendly and is fantastic at recommending products tailored to the items you have in your shopping cart. Whether you’re a video gamer, fashionista, or aspiring visual artist, there’s a world of stores on Taobao to suit your cravings. Even if you don’t end up buying everything in your cart, you’ll manage to snatch up something super-cute and super cheap!
Sudoku
Despite the fact that this is an age-old Japanese logic-based math game, its popularity endures across generations. Sudoku puzzles consist of a grid with nine squares subdivided into a further nine squares, with the numerals 1-9 appearing once in each horizontal line, vertical line, and square. It’s then up to the player to insert numbers one to nine to complete the puzzle. If you’re someone who falls hard for numerical challenges, Sudoku is a must-try. And no, this game is not just for nerds. After a few rounds, you’ll get the hang of it and before you know it, you’ll be playing religiously.
What’s your favorite way to procrastinate? Let us know in the comments!
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Images: Pexels, Baidu Baike Images
