(GIF from Giphy)
The web can be a dangerous monster if you're not careful. Make time to educate yourself on what you believe is safe on the web and what's not.
When you are surfing the web, there are a few things you should be aware of so you don't fall into someone's trap. This is the time of year when people usually fall for online fraud or scams from doing online shopping or just simply surfing the web. In 2012, the FBI's released an annual report from the Internet Crime Complaint Center which stated that there were a total of 290,000 complaints from victims. The report also indicated that there were approximately $525.5 million dollars in losses as a result. Therefore, be careful where you wander off to on the web. Always keep your guard up and avoid suspicious pop-ups and websites.
I tend to avoid any websites that are designed poorly because I don't want to get viruses on my computers. Especially, if the website has too many pop-ups or asks for too much personal information. I don't sign up for random prize/sweepstakes online because I don't know who's really going to be calling me.
Social media can also be scary if you aren't picky about who you talk to and share with. The only form of social media that I am a member of is Facebook. Facebook is the only place I can connect with my friends and family who are miles away. I advise that you set up your account wisely. On my social sites, I make sure to adjust the privacy settings to make my profile extremely hard to find and I always set my profile on private. I avoid the other social sites like Twitter and Tumblr because most of the time I just don't understand how to use them. On social networks, keep in mind to never accept strangers to be your friend because you don't know what's on your new "friend's" agenda.
The web houses so many things that may not be appropriate for the younger generation. It is contaminated with provocative and violent things that could corrupt someone's mind. Setting up filters and parental control should be ideal when your children began the journey into the world of the web. As a parent myself, I want to make sure my children are safe and are aware of the dangers of the web.
I feel as though someone is always watching you even when you least expect it. That's the danger of the web.
