Monday, November 25, 2019

Vennmedia Partners with Comcast Internet Essentials: Staying Safe with Online and Mobile Technology


Everyone can stay safe online and in their use of mobile technology: kids, parents, other adults and seniors. There are enormous benefits that come from the use of the internet and mobile technology but, like all great tools -- like cars, stoves, kitchen knives -- you need to use them safely.  While we can never eliminate ALL risk, you can manage risk and greatly reduce the chances of things going wrong.
 
 
 
 
 
Popular Among Every Age Group: Adults
 
The internet is popular among every age group, including adults, most of whom, as you can see go online on a daily basis. About a quarter of us are online “almost constantly” and that number goes up to nearly 40% among younger adults.
 

 
Popular Among Every Age Group: Children & Teens
Teens are especially active when it comes to mobile technology now that 95% have access to a smartphone with nearly half saying they are online “almost constantly.”



 
Popular Among Every Age Group: Seniors (65+)
Two in three online seniors say technology has had a positive effect on their lives. Many online seniors report they use social media and navigation apps, and shop online. Fewer online seniors use the internet for health-related services or grocery delivery, but may express interest in doing so.



It’s More about Behavior than Technology
We often hear news reports about so-called dangerous apps and services. And while some app developers are better than others when it comes to designing-in safety, privacy and security, it’s important to remind users that how we behave online makes matters most. No matter how good the privacy tools may be, we can still get trouble if we share information that should kept private, fail to use secure passwords or treat people meanly on the service. Staying safe is a partnership between the app developers and the users. But at the end of day, it’s how we use the services that matter the most.
 
Cyberbullying & Harassment
 
Cyberbullying is bullying which takes place on a device and can result in hurt feelings, depression and anxiety. And unlike bullying, cyberbully can follow you around 24/7. Bullying, whether cyber or otherwise, is defined as aggressive and repeated with an imbalance of power at Stopbullying.gov, the official U.S. government anti-bullying site.
 
The good news is that most kids don’t cyberbully and most kids haven’t been victimized. The Cyberbullying Research Center estimates that about 21% of teens have been cyberbullied and about 13% admitted to cyberbullying others at some point in their lifetimes.
 
 
 
 
Reputation & Inappropriate Posting
How you treat others online says more about you than it does about them. And one of the many reasons to be nice online is to protect your own reputation. So remember these few takeaways while online:
             Being mean to others harms YOUR reputation
 
             Spirited debate is fine, but keep it civil
 
             What you post now could affect you later
 
 
 
There is no Safe Sexing
Sexting is not inherently dangerous, but it does come with serval risks. Some people exchange intimate images as an expression of affection, but it can cause harm, especially if the images are distributed beyond the intended target. The safest way to avoid abuse is not to allow such images to be taken in the first place.
 
 
Scams & Financial Risks
 
Scams can affect anyone and they are sometimes difficult to detect. Often they come in the form of an email, a “phishing” attacks where the message appears to come from your bank or other trusted source but is really an imposter.  Sometime they come by phone -- a call from “Microsoft” saying your computer is infected or the IRS saying you owe money. Sometimes you find them on social media -- a message from a “friend” who is in distress and needs emergency funds. Other times you’ll see them on the web.  The best advice is to not provide any information or funds to anyone unless you are absolutely certain of who they are and that they are legitimate.
 
Reminders:
  1. Don’t click on links in email “from your bank.” Type in the actually web address or call or visit the bank to see if it’s legitimate
  2. Always look carefully at the web address of any site before logging in or providing any information, including financial information.
  3. Be extremely cautious of anyone who calls you on the phone to demand money or tell you that your device is infected with malware.
 
 
    Security Risks

     
    Use strong passwords and hard to guess PINs on all your devices. Use 2-factor authentication where possible (ConnectSafely.org/passwords).

Comcast launched Internet Essentials, a program designed to help close the digital divide. They have worked with thousands of partners across the nation to get students and their families connect to the Internet at home, improving students' ability to do research, write papers and collaborate with classmates.  Internet Essentials is the nation’s largest, most comprehensive, and most successful high-speed Internet adoption program for low-income households. Since launching in 2011, we’ve made dozens of improvements to the program, including 12 eligibility expansions—bringing Internet Essentials to new audiences such as public housing residents, low-income veterans, seniors, community college students, and new this year, to all qualified low-income households living in Comcast’s service area. We estimate this expansion, the largest we’ve ever made, doubles the number of Internet Essentials eligible households and benefits millions of newly-eligible people, including those with disabilities and new parents, along with even more seniors and adults without children at home.
 
Internet Essentials is uniquely designed to address the three major barriers to broadband adoption—digital literacy and relevance, computer equipment, and cost—and relies on a network of tens of thousands of partners to help communities cross the digital divide.
 

 PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY
Now available to low-income households eligible for public assistance programs such as Medicaid, the National School Lunch Program, SNAP, HUD Housing Assistance, and others. Additionally, households must live in Comcast’s service area, not be a current Comcast Internet customer, and not have outstanding debt to Comcast that is less than one year old.
 


 
While participating in Internet Essentials, students and their families receive:
 
  - Fast home Internet for just $9.95 a month plus tax.
 
 
 
  - No price increases, no activation fees and no equipment rental fees.
 
 
 
   -A low-cost computer available at initial enrollment for just $149.99 plus tax.
 
 
 
  - Access to free Internet training in English and Spanish - online, in print and in person.
 

 Learn more on the Internet Essentials Overview website. Certain eligibility restrictions apply.
 
 
About Vennmedia: ANME 
Vennmedia: ANME is an organization that supports the mission and programs of economic, educational and community development through career training, continuing education, internships, youth programs, fundraising initiatives, and community outreach efforts, helping raise the community resources it needs to make a difference for the most vulnerable members of our communities.
 

 
 

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