Believe it or not, I know a few of my senior friends who still use, and love, their flip-phone. However, as technology advances faster by the year, old technology is left in the dust along with the user who is nervous to upgrade. Many times, upgrading anything connected to the internet can bring more security but along with it comes more opportunities for getting hacked or scammed. So, what’s a senior to do?
Many older Americans have been slower to adopt new technologies than younger generations, but those numbers are changing. According to Statista.com, in 2021, 75% of people aged 65 and up are online, and 61% of seniors own a smartphone.
The benefits of technology are endless, but constant changes can make it difficult to know when something online is unsafe. Here are a safety tips for seniors that can help you with the internet:
- Please take your passwords seriously and make them impossible to decipher. Be sure to write them down in a safe place.
- Guard personal information. Never give out your birthday, social security number, or home address. Personal identifiers are a peek at your personal life for scammers.
- Install a reputable security software. This will be your safety net in case you accidentally click on a malicious link.
- If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
As our society becomes more and more connected and reliant on the internet, it’s hard to know what’s good or bad for us. At Danbury Senior Living, we are dedicated to keeping our residents safe in all matters of life. Call today to learn more!
