Having fun while learning has become my idea of a really good time. Forget drugs, booze and rock and roll. Now you can learn all about social media and the sociology of the Internet through video lectures.

If you’re an information junkie like I am, you spend way too much time over on TED.com watching fascinating videos on every topic of major importance in this world.

Unbelievable, non? It combines education with entertainment. It’s a great way to learn about the sociology of how people are using computers to connect with a global community.

My actual big screen TV is ignored (except for tennis  and we’re waiting for the French Open at the end of May.)

What I find fascinating is the sociology of social media: we’re still operating with the same primitive brains. We crave connection with others and to find meaning in our lives. Now, however, we’re doing it online, on the Internet, using social media tools. Twitter is like a town square for the globe.

It’s hard to choose which lecture to watch on TED TV as there are so many good ones. I was glad to see this blog post over at OnlineCollege.org because my colleague Carol Brown has posted about 15 terrific TED Talks that pertain to social media and the Internet.

Here are some of the great talks that will help you learn more about new ways to use traditional media and innovative ways to bring more to the digital sphere – and the sociology that’s evolving.

1. Peter Hirshberg on TV and the web: Take a look back at media and technology history with this talk. You’ll get a chance to see why watching TV on the web can be so much more engaging.
2. James Surowiecki: When social media became news: Most of us spend a pretty good part of the day using social media, whether it’s reading blogs or using social networking sites. Here you can learn a bit more about the role social media is starting to play in reporting the news and what it means for more traditional media.
3. Seth Godin on the tribes we lead: When you hear the word “tribe,” you probably think of it in the more traditional sense. But in this talk from marketing guru Seth Godin, you’ll learn about how it can be applied to how we use the web– with powerful results.
4. Jimmy Wales on the birth of Wikipedia: It’s hard to remember a world without Wikipedia, but a decade ago the site was just getting its start. Learn how founder Jimmy Wales helped to create the amazing new media giant from this talk.
5. Evan Williams on listening to Twitter users: You can’t do much on the web, or off of it for that matter, without hearing about Twitter these days. Check out this talk to gain a better understanding of how the site came to be what it is today.
6. Stefana Broadbent: How the Internet enables intimacy: The internet is generally deemed a tool that makes humans more distant from one another, engaging in less real-time interaction. Broadbent argues against that here, claiming that this powerful new media tool actually lets us get closer together.

Now that’s my idea of a good time!