Although the Internet has become a necessary resource in today's life, having advantages such as being able to keep abreast of events at national and international level and to keep in touch with friends, family and even customers, it is still somewhat risky to use it, consuming different content without taking precautions.
On the other hand, the older adult population has been increasingly active in the use of the Internet, so we want to comment on three precautions that should be taken into account as Internet users.
1. Be especially wary of Fake News
Known as "Fake News", they are characterized for being news from informal pages, without empirical evidence and that usually incite to take a radical position on a specific topic, which generates multiple visits. However, their information does not represent the truth, which can confuse those who do not know how to recognize them.
Accordingly, when we want to read a news item we must check the following:
-From an official website, for example: the Ministry of Health website.
-Citing formal sources
Evidence-based
-Other serious media are also sharing such content.
Once we have made sure that it complies with the above points, we can share the news with our acquaintances, otherwise we would be spreading unreliable information.
2. To have an authorized antivirus
Let's start by defining what computer viruses are. These "are computer programs that aim to alter the operation of the computer, without the user being aware of it" (GFC Global). So an antivirus is a program that has been designed to prevent or counteract computer viruses.
The recommendations we can make in this regard are to have an antivirus installed on the computer and to be cautious when downloading untrusted content. Often, the antivirus detects and informs you when you are interacting with something that could contain a virus.
3. Be careful about the content you post on social networks.
It is important to know that when a user of a social network publishes content, in a matter of seconds it reaches other users who can view, reproduce, download and share it. Therefore, we must make sure that what we publish does not infringe on our privacy or that of any other person. It is necessary that before selecting the option to publish, we reflect on the reason why we want others to have access to that content and if this ensures our rights as human beings.
Another important point is that the friends with whom we are linked in the social network are really people we trust and that we check the privacy level in the account settings, so that only those who are friends can see our content.
