Last updated on December 19th, 2020 at 02:27 am
Last Updated: November 22, 2020
It’s a big, bad digital world we live in, and sadly, many are poorly equipped to deal with the perils and pitfalls that’re all too abundant on the Web.
I sadly saw it all too often in my days as a banker—the customers who fell victim to online scams, either too caught up in their hubris to think it’d ever happen to them, or those so desperate to get rich quick that they turned blind eyes to red flags that’d be glaringly obvious otherwise.
I’d cringe a little every time someone handed me a dubious-looking form, but no matter how much I’d try to warn and dissuade them from what they were about to do, it often fell on deaf ears, and you know what they say—”the customer’s always right.”
Except when those same customers would come in months later seeking consolidation loans or information on their accounts for the bankruptcies they wound up filing due to their unwise decisions.
But this doesn’t need to be everyone’s story—one can learn to navigate the murky waters of the digital landscape, no matter who they are or where they come from.
Take my family for example—while I spend at least half a day every day on a computer or web-enabled device and my baby brother took on computer programming as a profession, my family does not have the best track record with technology! Between those with delusions of being “good at computers” and destroying them by ungracefully jamming RAM from one motherboard to another, and the devices galore that’ve met an untimely demise due to the magic of gravity… you can imagine how well some of us might fare when left to roam the internet unchecked.
Which makes it particularly good that TELUS partnered with me for this post, sending over a Samsung Galaxy Tab E for the fam, giving us a device that everyone could enjoy—child and adult alike!
But the question wasn’t so much whether the tablet could handle my son and all the things he’d likely do to it—it was whether he was ready for all the things that’re lurking on the other side of the screen, with the potential to affect him in ways that none of us could imagine!
The Things that Go “Bump” in the Net
Let’s face it; despite all the worry overexposing our kids to excessive screen time and dooming them to a future riddled with obesity and ADHD, our so-called Digital Revolution is changing everything about how we parent our kids.
At 2½, my toddler’s well aware that Paw Patrol‘s available to him at any hour of the day not only on the TV, but on Daddy’s phone, tablet or computer if Daddy’s willing. He approaches new toys and technology with the expectation that it’ll include lights, noises and touch sensitivity when he first uses them, unsure why humanity would ever make toys without them since they all add to the experience. The world my sons find themselves in is completely different from the one their parents saw in the ’80s, and as their father, it’s my responsibility to know when to protect them from what lies outside the front door, and when to embrace these changes, because we’ll never grow if we don’t adapt.
I need my boys ready for whatever life’s going to throw at them. The world’s a nasty place, and they’re going to need every resource they can muster to survive it—that’s why I put my faith in tools like TELUS WISE to give me what I need to make that happen.
TELUS WISE—Because it’s a New World with New Rules and New CHALLENGES.
A trusted source to help keep families and the communities they live in safer online, TELUS WISE (Wise Internet and Smartphone Education) does a lot to help Canadians embrace new technologies the right way so they won’t wind up paying for their lapses in judgment later.
To reach as many Canadians as possible, recognizing that our people come in all shapes, sizes, ages and creeds, since its start in October 2013, TELUS WISE has—amongst other things—sent TELUS Ambassadors to visit schools and parent and community groups, holding discussions on being safer online; posting numerous articles, videos and tips on their website covering everything from keeping children safe from cyberbullying to helping seniors navigate email phishing scams; and making their Learning Specialists available at the TELUS Learning Centres found in any of the 300+ TELUS locations across the country to answer whatever questions you might have about this brave, new digital world!
As the devices we use and apps we download grow increasingly complex and demand more permissions from us than ever, it’s good to know there’s someone out there making sure we do it in a way that’s smart.
A Million and More Reasons to Use TELUS WISE!
Keeping safe online doesn’t have to become some massive life-changing decision—there’re so many small steps you can take to build a better tomorrow for yourself. Learn how to Google yourself to see how the world sees you. Keep your digital footprint clean—don’t post anything you wouldn’t want popping up in an interview. Don’t post negative things about other people—you never know when it might come back to haunt you!
There’s a reason why TELUS WISE has reached over a million Canadians so far—with over 150 TELUS team members who volunteer as TELUS WISE Ambassadors; the partnerships they’ve developed with organizations like Amanda Todd Legacy, Bullying.org, CACP (Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police), Hockey Canada, MediaSmarts and PREVNet; and new initiatives like training high school and post-secondary students to become TELUS WISE Youth Ambassadors and teach their communities how to keep wise… I’m pretty sure that TELUS WISE is well on their way to reaching a million more.
Keep safe out there, everyone—this digital world isn’t getting any smaller; make sure you give yourself the right map!
Until the next,
Disclaimer: I wrote this post as part of an ongoing partnership with TELUS to let consumers know what they have to offer beyond just cool devices and lightning-fast services—TELUS contributes to numerous charities; participates in a wealth of cultural events; and gives back to the community with programs like TELUS WISE! I hope you get behind them because with their help, the future is friendly!
TELUS provided the Samsung Galaxy Tab E to my family for review.
