Talk to parents about Net safety

By Debra Berlyn and Jodi Lyons


Making friends on Facebook, sending text messages, posting pictures online. Are these teens who spend endless hours surfing the Net? Not exclusively. Today, older adults are the fastest-growing population online and are actively engaged in the Web 2.0 world. But while they enjoy the many benefits of the Internet, they are often overlooked when it comes to online safety.

Many online safety initiatives focus on kids, and rightly so. But what about the older generation, which now uses the Internet for everyday tasks as well as for social networking, online dating, games and watching videos?

While identity theft has traditionally been viewed as the online threat to seniors, online safety for the aging population is multifaceted. For example, older adults should take steps to protect their personal information online; maintaining online privacy is an important issue for seniors.

In instances where older adults are on social networking sites such as Facebook, they will want to make sure they do not give out too much information about themselves and need to be cautious that they are “friending” those who are really their friends.

SeniorNet, a nonprofit organization that holds computer and technology classes across the country, provides seniors with clear, understandable and easily accessible information and has witnessed seniors’ hunger for information about new technologies. At Tech Day events, SeniorNet staff say, seniors are most interested in learning how to fully utilize the technologies and Web sites their kids and grandkids use.

But what steps can we take to keep our parents safe online? We need to make sure seniors have not only the resources and education to fully utilize the Internet, but also the tools to keep themselves and their personal information safe online. In short, we need to adjust the advice we give our kids and apply it to our older generations:

First, have a healthy skepticism about people you meet online. Older adults need to establish personal protocol for determining when it is appropriate to give out personal information. This may require additional coaching to identify problems, as their intuition about possible scams is not necessarily tuned to the virtual world.

Second, make sure you double-check all Web addresses from your e-mail to make sure they are valid. A misspelled address can lead you to believe a scam is a valid business.

Third, never provide personal financial information in response to an unsolicited request.

Concerns about online safety and privacy for older adults are also relevant to broadband access. The Federal Communications Commission recently asked for public input about developing a national broadband plan to achieve high-speed Internet access for all Americans.

Its plan should include a strategy to tackle online safety and privacy issues as well. The FCC should work with consumer organizations, the industry, online safety experts and others to support programs that educate all Internet users — regardless of generation — about online safety and privacy.

Technology and the vast world of online information is a vital resource for today’s older community. It brings important advances in health, communications and entertainment, reduces isolation and helps seniors stay connected with family and friends. Our job is to help the aging community access the online world safely.

Let’s start by providing the best tools and information — and let’s talk with our parents about safety and privacy, just as we talk to our kids.

Debra Berlyn is director of the Consumer Privacy Awareness project. Jodi Lyons is executive director of SeniorNet, a nonprofit organization that provides older adults education on and access to computer technologies.