Using the Internet Safely For Seniors

➟ Your grandchildren. See Chapter 11 for more about

working with your grandchildren to keep each other

safe online.

Meet Someone Safely Offline

If you decide to meet an online acquaintance offline, follow these

guidelines:

➟ Meet in a safe environment, preferably a public place

during a busy time of day.

➟ Keep the first meeting short.

➟ Make sure somebody knows where you are.

➟ Take a mobile phone with you.

➟ If the person doesn’t look as he or she represented,

walk away.

➟ If you have any problems, report the person to the

social site.

The advice we provide here applies no matter where

on the Internet you meeting someone. If you are

involved in online dating or considering taking the

leap, see Chapter 9 for more specific advice for using

dating services.

Online Quizzes and Surveys

Quizzes and surveys you find online, including those on social net-

working sites, are usually entertaining and may seem like a harmless

pastime. But quiz and survey companies are for-profit businesses.

Because consumer information is a commodity, you should assume

that anything you enter in quizzes and surveys is being sold. Some sites

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Part II: Using the Internet While Dodging the Risk