Top concerns for email
Email is short for electronic mail, and that’s exactly what it is! Instead of writing letters to friends and family by hand you can type your message and send it right away! Since email is delivered over the Internet, email messages are received almost instantly.
Email is one of the most used forms of communicating online, and many email providers give users a free email address and storage space. Emails can also ‘mail’ more than just text. You can attach different types of files like photos, videos and documents to your message.
Email is often used to deliver unwanted messages like spam. Spam emails, which usually come someone you don’t know, can contain nasty images, links to websites that younger users shouldn’t see or have viruses and email worms hidden in an attached file. Opening emails from people you don’t know can hurt your computer or trick you into entering personal information on a website.
While email seems private, it can be intercepted and read by people you don’t know. Also, once you’ve sent an email you can’t unsend it. Whoever you sent the email to can forward your email to anyone. That’s why it’s never a good idea to send personal information, photos or nasty comments. You don’t know where they’ll end up.
Keeping your family computer safe and personal information private is a team effort. If you’re ever unsure about an email, show it to a trusted adult right away. Also, remind each other to update your computer’s anti-virus program every week.
