Things You Wish Your Parents Knew About The Internet

Ah, the moment your parents get their first computer, smartphone, Facebook account, etc. both adorable and frightening. Some things you wish your parents knew:

• It’s okay to switch from your original email address. Come on, give Gmail a try! It does some really cool stuff! And it’s much more secure than that AOL account you’ve been using.

• Give BCC: a try when you send emails. We don’t need to see all 55 relatives you forwarded this email to, Mom. Please, use the BCC: function. (BCC = :blind carbon copy.:) The email will still get sent, but only you will see who it was sent to. It’ll keep people from accidentally replying all, too!

• Please don’t forward us chain emails. If you’re convinced that an outrageous email is true, search Snopes — it’s a site that’s been collecting internet hoaxes for nearly two decades. Chances are, it’s not true.

• You should stop paying for dial up. We know it’s what’s familiar. And you’re not alone: At the end of 2012, AOL still had 2.8 million dial up subscribers. But most internet providers can provide you with way faster internet for just a few bucks more. Plus, with that faster internet, you’ll be able to video chat with us!

• We love hearing from you — just not via internet greeting cards. Those BlueMountain cards autoplay your birthday message at full blast before we realize that the sound is on and our headphones aren’t connected. It’s embarrassing at the office. Just send us an email, okay?

• Talk normally when video chatting with us. You don’t need to yell. We’re right here. We want to catch up, but we also like our ear drums.

• You should try out Twitter, but you should follow somebody outside your immediate family. Don’t worry about getting hacked — just be more careful.

• The real issues now: Hacking and identity theft. People aren’t using sophisticated techniques to break into your computer. They’re using simple hacks to steal your information. Be careful, and read up on phishing.

Is there anything your parents do with their online accounts that absolutely drive you batty?