Enjoying Retirement Through Learning the Internet

Here in the Philippines, retirement is an eventful life stage that every hard-working Filipino awaits. And even for housewives and househusbands, getting towards the retirement age is still something to look forward to.

As they say, life begins at sixty. And for our mothers, fathers, lolos, lolas, titos, and titas, life can really get exciting at this age. At sixty, you get to enjoy a lot of things: your grandchildren, more time for your self, free movies courtesy of your local government, and discounts in restaurants and other establishments. However, amongst the multitude of things that a retiree can enjoy, one thing seems to arouse a skeptical attitude from them – the internet.

Internet As a Foreign Terrain for Seniors

Although it is not surprising to see our lolos and lolas in social media, using the internet is still a foreign terrain for a significant part of our seniors. The most common and valid reason is hearing unfortunate stories about online dangers like bank fraud and identity theft. Yet, a part of those who are fearless in exploring this uncharted territory, still doesn’t have a well-informed way of using it. Some of our techie seniors may appear to be social media savvy but may not know anything about malware and phishing.

Possibilities that the Internet Offers for Retirees

The internet offers unlimited possibilities especially for people moving towards the retirement age. It is a rich source of information to keep us abreast on current news and issues. Through social media, keeping in touch with our family and friends has been so much easier. It also offers the convenience of shopping and paying our bills without leaving the comfort of our homes. It gives limitless access to our favorite movies, songs, series, and other entertainment sources anytime and anywhere. Also, if you are thinking of finding more productive endeavors apart from just enjoying retirement, you can take online courses or find online jobs that suit your schedule well.

Precautionary Tips on Using the Internet

While the internet has a lot to offer, we must keep in mind that it is still a virtual world and what appears to be true may not always be true. As a precaution, here are some points to remember when using the internet.

First, let’s talk about passwords. You must not divulge your online accounts’ passwords to anyone. No company will ask for this unless you need to log in to your account. Keep you passwords long. Make sure that it contains different characters. Apart from alphabets, put some numbers and other characters. Also use both upper case and lower case in creating your passwords. Use different passwords for different online accounts.

Second, avoid phishing by being cautious in filling out forms and giving out personal details. Phishing encourages you to divulge personal information that can be used in hacking your account for malicious reasons. Don’t just easily fill out forms that requires personal details such as bank accounts, address, mobile numbers, and birthdays. Ensure that you really need to fill out the form before doing so.

Third, don’t open spam emails and links that says you have won something or that offers promotions and gifts. This can get you to malicious web sites.

Fourth and an important one, install an anti-virus software and ensure that it is up to date. This will help you avoid malware that you can get from using the internet. Malware or malicious software can seriously and completely damage your computers and gadgets if it gets out of control.

Fifth, if you are wary about online shopping, it is best to verify the credibility of the business. You may visit their physical store. You may also contact them through their mobile and phone numbers before having any kind of transaction.

Sixth, to avoid fake news, don’t immediately believe information that you read on social media. As with other information, you need to verify it through checking for more reliable sources such as websites of reputable newspapers and academic institutions.

Unfortunate stories about the internet really exists. However, if we take the necessary safeguards, we can enjoy the possibilities that it offers especially in our retirement. For what its worth, amidst its dangers and complexities, the internet is worth-knowing.

Thank you for an overwhelming response to our seminar invitation. We appreciate your enthusiasm in learning something new. With this, we are looking forward to our fruitful discussion on the benefits and safeguards of using the internet. As a way of giving back to our community, clients, and supporters, this seminar as we have said, is free and lunch will be served. Please read this article to view the guest list and instructions about the seminar.