In the age of fast facts and faster fashion, where we find ourselves swimming in an endless sea of information (and misinformation), internet safety is more important than ever.
It’s become a necessary habit for parents to teach their children about online safety, but sometimes, it’s the children who find themselves needing to teach their parents.
Each year, millions fall victim to common digital crimes, often in the form of investment fraud, romance scams, or sweepstakes that sound too good to be true because they are.
More and more often, the prey of these scams are our elders – the very ones who once taught us about how to stay safe in the world.
But the internet, and the experience of being chronically online, has introduced a new kind of world. We now live precariously between two realms at once: the digital and the physical. And unless you grew up navigating this bumpy terrain, it’s easy to get lost, just like a child might in the woods.
When an elderly relative of mine told me that they found love across the seas, red flags instantly shot up in my mind.
I thought it was an interesting coincidence that, shortly after this relative had changed their relationship status on Facebook to “widowed,” a knight-in-shining-armor appeared out of nowhere and promised them forever.
“I am so in love with you,” the suspicious profile said, in one message. In another: “Once you send me the money, I will be able to come be with you.”
To me, it was an obvious attempt to deceive a vulnerable senior into sharing their savings with a stranger. But to my relative, and countless others, it seemed like an opportunity for connection in a world that had grown smaller by the day.
No longer did my relative have a booming career and fruitful friendships.
They weren’t surrounded by siblings; they didn’t even have their spouse anymore. With fewer and fewer social activities, they grew lonelier, and that’s when they let their guard down for this online scammer.
It wasn’t until after my relative ended up being scammed out of thousands of dollars that they believed me about the nature of this “relationship.”
This is unfortunately too common of an experience, and it can do more than hurt someone’s wallet – it can break hearts and damage entire families.
The sad truth is that these scams are likely to continue to increase, as AI has spread out across the digital world, and our senior friends and family members seem to have a harder time discerning between what is real and what is fake.
We owe it to our elders to look after them, not out of obligation but out of respect for the lives they’ve lived and the care they themselves have given.
This support might start with family or friends, but it is sustained by community. Seniors deserve vibrant social spaces and opportunities for joy beyond the home, and the tools on how to navigate this world wide web with confidence.
Offering more of these spaces will benefit everyone – agencies seeking active engagement, families carrying the heavy weight of protection, and the seniors who are looking for a place in a world that too often leaves them behind.
