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No matter what age you are, the internet can be a confusing place. Some of us are naturals and some of us will end up down 'rabbit holes' of mis-information and scams. Read here to learn how we can help each other get better.

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Digital natives are the generation of young people who are "native speakers". (source: www.unsplash.com)

Technology made a big change for the new generations. It became a very popular topic for psychologists and sociologists. That resulted in the use of labels such as 'digital native', 'the net generation', 'Google generation' or 'the millennials'. These highlights are defining the lives of young people at the age of new technologies.

'Digital natives' are generally born after the 1980s and they are comfortable in the digital age, because they grew up using technology, but 'digital immigrants' are those who are born before 1980s and they are fearful about using technology. 'Digital immigrants' are the older crew, they weren't raised in a digital environment. The term digital immigrant mostly applies to individuals who were born before the spread of the digital technology and who were not exposed to it at an early age. Digital natives are the opposite of digital immigrants, they have been interacting with technology from childhood. According to Prensky, digital natives are the generation of young people who are "native speakers" of the digital language of computers, video games and the Internet.

As I observe younger generation and the older generation, I see the difference clearly. I frequently find myself interfacing between the newest digital natives and classic digital immigrants.

Millennials were born between the 1980s and 2000s. Those who were born after 2000 are considered Generation Z. In the recent years researchers observed two generations: those born after the 1980s, and those born after 1993, and the results were that the younger group had more positive attitudes toward the Internet and lower anxiety scores about the Internet and higher web, e-mail and social media usage. Studies say that digital natives' brains are more actively engaged while scrolling through a webpage than while reading printed text.

New technologies have been a defining feature in the lives of younger generations in a way that they predict a fundamental change in the way young people communicate, socialize, create and learn. The Internet has reshaped the way we search for information and the way we think.

Digital natives see everyone on the equal level and are not dividing the world into hierarchies, they view the world horizontally. They cross boundaries and embrace the benefits of sharing with each other. Those values exist because of what they are driven by. We can learn a lot about digital native generations because their world is a genuine democracy and equality. They reject centralized and control-based forms of governance. More aggressive, competitive and result-obsessed generation, the advantage is their productivity. The difference between digital natives and digital immigrants is that digital immigrants are goal oriented and digital natives are value oriented. Digital natives like to parallel process and multi-task.

Because of interacting with technology, digital natives "think and process information fundamentally differently" (Prensky) to digital immigrants. Digital natives, according to Prensky, process information quickly, enjoy multi-tasking and gaming, while digital immigrants process information slowly, working on one thing at a time and do not appreciate less serious approaches to learning. This divide, Prensky argued, is the greatest problem facing education today and teachers must change the way they teach in order to engage their students. Children raised with the computer think differently. They develop hypertext minds. There is a need for education to change in order to create better generation expectations. Prensky claims the digital native is becoming the dominant global demographic, and the digital immigrant is in decline.

The thing is that digital natives first check their social platforms, not TV. They would rather be engaged than marked to something, they do not care if the content is professionally produced, but that it is authentic and on their level. They develop their culture - IT culture.

Digital immigrant vs. digital native(source: www.craigaharrington.wordpress.com)

Digital immigrants' groups:

Avoiders: they prefer a relatively minimal technology, or technology-free lifestyle. They do not have an email account and/or smartphones and tend to have deadlines. Social media is too much for them and they do not see the value in these activities.

Reluctant adopters: they accept technology and are trying to engage with it, but feel unintuitive and hard to use it. They have a cell phone but do not use texting, occasionally they use Google but do not have a Facebook account but they check their emails and use online banking.

Enthusiastic adopters: they are digital immigrants who have the potential to keep up with natives. They embrace technology and they may be high-tech executives, programmers and business people. This group sees the value of technology, they use Facebook and check emails regularly and technology makes them excited. If they are doing business, they have a website.

Digital natives grouping:

Avoiders: even though they were born in the digital world, some young people do not feel an affinity for digital technologies and Facebook. Mobile technologies do not enamor them. They have cell phones, but do not use email and social media accounts.

Minimalists: they use technology minimally and when they perceive it necessary. They search information on Google if they have to and purchase online if they cannot buy something at a local store. They check their Facebook account once a day or every couple of days.

Enthusiastic participants are the most of the digital natives. They enjoy technology and gadgets. They use Facebook all day long and have other social media accounts, watching YouTube and movies online as much as possible. The first thing they do when they want to know something is: turn to Google. This group is easier to reach via social media rather than cell phones. They thrive on instant communication and own a smartphone for constant access to the Web.
So how can people from these two groups work together? How can digital immigrants teach digital natives and vice versa?
Some digital immigrants surpass digital natives in tech-savviness, but there is a belief that an early exposure to technology fundamentally changes the way people learn. The adoption of digital technology has not been a unified phenomenon worldwide. There are a lot of opportunities where they can learn from each other, and where the generations feed each other knowledge. Collaboration is they key because digital immigrants are those who invented technologies and systems that digital natives today use fluently. It is important then, to have a variety of people with a variety of abilities and experiences. Teachers must develop lessons on horizontal solutions. Embracing all technology leads to a broader understanding of the problem. As digital natives are driven by productivity, their working style may seem competitive, so incorporating more value in the process may be a good strategy.

Learning from the natives

From the natives, the immigrants can learn to be more open and willing to engage with learners of differing backgrounds. They can learn from the natives how to sift through and focus resources, which are aplenty and are not as overwhelming for the native. They can learn to scale the learning and create what is possible.

Learning from the immigrants

Digital immigrants can teach natives to achieve goals quickly. They can help the "techno-wizards" scale the learning and create what is possible. They can look at the existing institutions and re-purpose them or rethink their vitality. A Native may be able to offer great ideas for layouts, image, design and labeling, while the immigrant would contribute their knowledge to storytelling and the value of including worthy artifacts.

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Digital natives and digital immigrants - how are they different

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Technology made a big change for the new generations. It became a very popular topic for psychologists and sociologists. That resulted in the use of labels such as 'digital native', 'the net generation', 'Google generation' or 'the millennials'. These highlights are defining the lives of young people at the age of new technologies.

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Father-Son Discuss Tips for Working With Gen Z Digital Natives.

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Father-Son Discuss Tips for Working With Gen Z Digital Natives.

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Watch this video to understand some things about what knowledge some Gen Z'ers bring to the classroom regarding technology and how they view it.

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A Father-Son Team Offers 4 Tips for Working with Gen Z

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Everything you do online can be tracked, and what you do online can interpreted by others and used against you. In some cases damaging a young person's future. This short TEDx Talk will help parents and teachers drive that point home.

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Digital footprints | Michelle Sadrena Pledger | TEDxHollywood

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How Can Teachers Help Their Students Stay Safe on the Internet?

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How Can Teachers Help Their Students Stay Safe on the Internet?

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Kathleen Morris is a primary school teacher from Australia who offers a large amount of tips and teaching strategies to help teachers show young people how to navigate the internet safely.

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Please note, this post was written in last updated in 2019 and I no longer update this website.
Technology is changing the way we live, work, and learn. The lines between our online and offline worlds continue to merge and blur.

This is exciting! It means students can be more empowered than ever before to connect, create, grow, and make the world a better place.

Of course, as our world becomes increasingly digital, our challenges, rights, and responsibilities are changing too. Teaching students about digital citizenship and internet safety is more important than ever.

This post breaks down the theory of digital citizenship and offers practical tips that you can use in your classroom tomorrow, whatever your level of experience.
Scroll down to find a set of 11 summary posters.
How Can I Teach This Subject?

Feeling daunted by the thought of teaching students how to be safe online? There's no need to be. You don't need to be an expert to help your students become safe, responsible, and productive users of technology.

Adults play a crucial role in guiding young people to navigate life offline and online. You can make more of a difference than you might know!

Digital Citizenship? Internet Safety? Cyber Safety?

Not so long ago, our school "internet safety" programs were pretty narrow. We'd talk about "cyber safety" or "cyberbullying" without exploring the broad range of important concepts associated with using technology.

Because we're now using technology differently and more immersively, there are many important concepts that need to be explored. These concepts are defined as coming under the umbrella of digital citizenship.

What is digital citizenship?

This term has evolved and become more well-known in recent years.

Many years ago Mike Ribble described 9 elements to digital citizenship, which he called, "The norms of appropriate, responsible behavior with regard to technology use."

ISTE now tells us that, "digital citizens are learners who use their technology-driven powers conscientiously - and with empathy - to help make the world a better place." They divide digital citizenship into three spheres: Digital Agent, Digital Interactor, and Digital Self.

Common Sense Education describes digital citizenship simply as, "the responsible use of technology to learn, create, and participate".

Common Sense Education's lesson resources for digital citizenship are now divided into these six topics:

Media balance and wellbeing

Privacy and security

Digital footprint and identity

Relationships and communication

Cyberbullying, digital drama, and hate speech

News and media literacy

I like to think that being a "good digital citizen" is similar to being a "good citizen" in general - just with the addition of technology!

Why is digital citizenship so important?

Just like in the offline world, we want our students to be safe, secure, happy, kind, and ethical online.

Students don't always have the life experience or brain development to navigate digital dilemmas or use technology safely and effectively. So, like many other areas of life, they need guidance from trusted adults, including teachers and family members.

Even if students are not online very much during the school day (or online on "protected platforms"), many begin connecting, sharing, creating, and viewing as soon as they step out of the classroom.

As educators, we can't ignore this fact or waste the opportunity to tap into students' interests and lives, and help steer them in the right direction.

How Do You Teach Digital Citizenship?

All teachers want the best for their students, but many educators feel like they don't have the skills or confidence to include digital citizenship in their curriculum. This can be one area where teachers are afraid that their students know more than they do.

The good news is, you don't need to be an expert. You just need to be willing to listen, talk, and learn.

A Teaching Approach Beyond "Dos and Dont's"

We live in a digital world where we can't avoid using technology. And why would we want to? The amazing potential to connect, learn, and create shouldn't be avoided.

So, we obviously don't want to either block technology or create an atmosphere of fear.

With technology use comes a responsibility to put digital citizenship education on the agenda. But what is the best approach for teaching about digital citizenship?

I don't think providing students with a list of dos and don'ts around digital citizenship and cyber safety is powerful enough.

I do think it's a good start and I have created a series of posters with this blog post as handy reminders to use in your classroom. However, I believe the topic has the most impact when the following four areas are covered:

1. INTEGRATION: Digital citizenship is embedded into the curriculum in an ongoing and authentic way.

2. STORYTELLING: Students are presented with "real-life" scenarios to consider, discuss, and learn from.

3. STRATEGIES: Practical strategies are taught so students build a toolkit of actionable ideas and skills.

4. COMMUNITY: Messages from parents and educators overlap and there is ongoing communication.

Let's take a look at each layer...

1) INTEGRATION: Gain real world experience
"Okay students, put away your maths equipment; it's time for reading." "Art class is over now; it's time to head to sport."
In the traditional curriculum, a lot of subjects are seen as separate areas. Digital citizenship is not like this.

Some standalone lessons can certainly be useful, but I strongly believe elements of digital citizenship need to be weaved into the curriculum frequently and authentically.

I have always found blogging to be an excellent way to teach students about being responsible digital citizens and members of online communities.

Of course, blogging is not the only tool that can be used to promote positive internet behaviours. Many online platforms can be used as vehicles to drive messages about digital citizenship.

This will be especially powerful when those tools or platforms are open to the public. In Ross Cooper's discussion of closed platforms, he wisely states,

We'd be a bit hypocritical by first declaring, "Digital citizenship is important; let's practice it!" and then saying, "Use this, because we don't want you to experience what's out there."

I've always been an advocate for public classroom blogs but they're not for everyone. In 2018, I published an article about the pros and cons of public blogs.

It's not a black and white issue but it's worth considering how you can incorporate some authentic, public experiences into your classroom program, even if it's heavily moderated and teacher-controlled initially.

2) STORYTELLING: Discuss scenarios and real-life situations

Lecturing students about dos and don'ts isn't enough for digital citizenship messages to have an impact.

We all know the power of storytelling. Sometimes messages can seem abstract or less important when delivered as simple statements or advice.

For example, you might hear facts and statistics about sufferings in war-torn countries that you barely pay attention to, but when you read or watch a story about real people you may feel deeply impacted. Furthermore, if you were to hear someone's story in real life, you may feel even more moved and transformed.

Stories can stay in your memory and leave a lasting impact.

Stories, scenarios, and real-life situations involving digital dilemmas are ideal for classroom use. Students can relate and reflect on issues, and may even feel comfortable sharing their own experiences.

There are a number of places online where either videos or written scenarios are published. These can be ideal prompts for discussions, responses, reflections, or role plays.

Check out my Pinterest board for a collection of digital citizenship scenarios. Please let me know if you have anything to add!

3) STRATEGIES: Build a practical toolkit

Apart from teaching students what we should not do, we need to equip them with practical strategies so they know what to do instead.

For example:

You can't use any image off Google to illustrate your digital work, so we need to teach students about using Creative Commons.

We don't want students sharing their YAPPY (personal) information online, so we need to help them generate ideas of safer information to share with others in their online communications. Brainstorm nicknames, safe topics to talk about and so on.

We don't want students creating short passwords with identifiable information, so we need to help them understand what a strong passphrase is.

We don't want students accessing inappropriate content, so we need to teach them what to do if they come across a website that doesn't look safe or appropriate (e.g. closing tabs, telling adults, not clicking on random links etc).

We don't want students to leave a negative digital footprint, so we need to teach them about creating a positive online presence. Having no digital footprint at all probably isn't the answer.

Many of these ideas can be mini-lessons that are touched on as part of your regular curriculum.

4) COMMUNITY: Involve families

Research tells us that family participation in schooling is one of the biggest predictors of a child's success. When schools and families work together there can be positive outcomes for all.

Digital citizenship education is no different. We need to bring parents into the conversations we are having in our classrooms.

Digital citizenship education should be a community effort. The impact will be more powerful when students have multiple trusted adults they can discuss issues with, and when they're hearing the same messages reinforced from both home and school.

This can create a holistic approach where everyone can feel supported and involved.

LEARN MORE: Check out this post with lots of information and tips about involving parents in your digital citizenship education. There's even a poster to distribute to parents or display on your school website.

10 Digital Citizenship and Internet Safety Tips for Students

The following is certainly not an exhaustive list but are key messages that I believe all students should be aware of.

Scroll down to find a set of 11 posters to print or embed on your blog!

1) CHECK LAWS

Many sites have age restrictions and you're not allowed to sign up for an account if you're not old enough (e.g. Facebook, Snapchat, YouTube, Instagram, Musical.ly etc.). Often these age restrictions are 13+ or 18+. An adult can help you check in the terms and conditions on the website if you're not sure.

Most of the images, text, and videos you find online are protected by copyright unless stated otherwise. This means you can't reuse them. For example, you can't take an image you find off Google Images and put it in your website or project. There are some sites where you can find free content to use. Read more about that there.

2) TALK

Talk to your parents about what you're doing online and let them know when you're going on the internet.

If anything you see online makes you feel uncomfortable, worried, sad, or unsure, leave the site and talk to a trusted adult.

If you don't feel comfortable talking, there are helplines like Kids Helpline (Australia), Childline (UK), Kids Help Phone (Canada) and Your Life Your Voice (USA).

3) FRIENDS

Don't add people as online friends unless you know them in real life or have parent permission. Never arrange to meet an online friend without talking to a parent.

Don't send personal information or photographs to an online friend. Never send private photos or videos of yourself to anyone (whether you know them in real life or not).

Remember, you can't trust everything online friends tell you. Anyone can pretend to be anyone on the web.

4) PRIVACY

Keep your personal information private online.

YAPPY is a useful acronym to help you remember the personal information you should not share online...

Your full name

Address (including your home address, email address, and school name/address)

Phone number

Passwords

Your plans and birthday

Don't publish this information or provide it in response to questions in emails, private messages, chat rooms, or forums. Even if you think these are private.

5) REPUTATION

Protect your digital footprint and don't publish anything online that you wouldn't want all your friends, family, teachers, and future employers to see.

You can read more about digital footprints and explore a poster with 10 tips in this post.

6) QUESTION

You cannot believe everything you read or see online. Publishing online is easier than ever so there is a lot of inaccurate or biased information out there.

When you come across information, question who wrote the message and why it was created. Find more advice about evaluating websites here.

7) CYBERBULLYING

Know what cyberbullying is and tell someone if you think it's happening to you or others. Cyberbullying is when someone picks on you, annoys, embarrasses, hurts, or threatens you repeatedly using technology, such as the internet or a phone.

There are things adults can do to deal with cyberbullying or inappropriate online behaviour:

Talk to your school

Report the abuse to the social media platform

Don't delete the content until it's dealt with. Collect your evidence

Report the behaviour to a government organisation (for example, eSafety Office in Australia)

8) ACCOUNTS, PASSWORDS, AND USERNAMES

Think carefully when choosing your username for your online accounts and email address:

You don't want to choose anything that identifies your full name or personal information.

You also don't want to choose a silly or funny username or email address. You might regret this later when you're connecting with teachers or applying for a job.

Passwords

Being a digital citizen means you'll need to have a lot of passwords. Tempting as it is, avoid using the same password for all your accounts. You need to use a password that you can remember but is not easy to guess.

One strategy is to use a modified passphrase.

Here's some advice on creating a passphrase I wrote for The Edublogger:

Come up with four or more words such as mysterious triangle bingo nurse

Avoid using personal information or well-known quotes or song lyrics (these can be easily guessed)

Add some uppercase letters, symbols, or numbers if you wish eg. #MYsteriousTr1angle=Bin.go.nur5e

Avoid making the passphrase too complex when you add the punctuation and numbers. It's important that you can still remember it!

It's extremely important that you never share passwords with others. Even your best friends!

9) MANNERS

Be polite and respectful online just as you would be offline. Always treat others the way you like to be treated.

Before posting, ask yourself:

Would you say that to someone's face?

Could someone take your message the wrong way?

How would you feel if someone said that to you?

10) UNPLUG

Life is all about balance. It's not good for our health and wellbeing to be online all the time.

Balance screen time with green time. Get outdoors, move, play, and interact face-to-face.

Don't let life pass you by!

Posters: 10 Tips for Students

Here are 11 posters summarising the digital citizenship and internet safety tips. I hope these are useful to use in your classroom!

Click here to download a PDF copy.

A lot of these ideas come down to "think before you post".

Slow down and think about your choices.

Talk to someone about your dilemma before posting or acting.

Your initial response might not be the best one.

Useful Resources and Lesson Ideas

There are many digital citizenship resources available online for educators, parents, and students.

The following sites are particularly useful, and I have also curated more on a Pinterest board.

A very comprehensive US non-profit organization with resources, information, and advice.

They've recently updated their digital citizenship resources and there are lots of lesson ideas you can use with all age groups.

An Australian government site with lots of resources for educators, parents, and children. Also includes a complaints service.

The classroom resources section has helpful multimedia and lesson plans for primary and secondary school educators.

Resources such as videos, games, and presentations for children, educators, parents, and law enforcement. This is a US site run by National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.

The teaching resources section has some useful lesson plans, presentations, and tip sheets. You do need to register for a free account to access these.

Google's digital citizenship program. It includes games, curriculum, and courses for teachers and students to learn about navigating the online world safely and responsibly.

Another useful discussion starter from Google for older students (or staff) is their Phishing Quiz (phishing is an attempt to trick you into giving personal information by pretending to be someone you know or recognise).

Final Thoughts: Start early, don't stop, involve others

Digital citizenship is a topic that's important for all ages.

Common Sense Media reports that children are accessing devices and the internet at increasingly younger ages, well before coming to school. The amount of time young people are spending on screens is also increasing to a significant amount - about 6 hours a day for tweens and 9 hours a day for teens.

Along with learning about opportunities, children need to learn about the responsibilities that come with using technology. When students develop habits and behaviours without guidance, problems are sure to occur.

My hope is that teaching students some key messages from a young age will help them navigate their way safely through the online world as they grow older.

While it's unlikely young people will never experience an issue online, I believe it is a good aim to both minimise potential harm and ensure students feel like they always have someone to talk to.

Digital citizenship education is an ongoing process, and the work of one teacher is not enough. Ideally, we need parents, students, educators, community members, and school leaders to unite.

Most of all, we need to create a positive culture where students feel empowered to use technology safely and purposefully.

As ISTE tells us,

Respect, education and protection are still important foundations of digital citizenship, but today's digital learners also need to understand the power they have to advocate, collaborate and drive change through technology.

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Teaching Digital Citizenship: 10 Internet Safety Tips For Students (With Posters)

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Want some clear tips on how to approach digital citizenship and internet safety in the classroom? This post is full of resources including a set of free cyber safety posters with tips for your students. Make cyber safety education easy and keep your students safe, happy, and ethical online,

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There are now many ways to store passwords because there are so many to keep track of-who can remember all that? Check out RoboForm and see if a password Bank is for you.

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RoboForm Authenticator

Add verification codes to RoboForm Authenticator via QR scan, adding a key, or import from other authenticator apps. Accessible on all RoboForm devices, six-digit codes can be auto-filled into log in forms with a single click.

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Best Password Manager: No more writing down passwords

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Multi-platform secure solution to simplify your online experience. One click login on Chrome, Firefox, Safari, IE, Opera, Edge, Windows, Mac, iOS, Android.

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Online Privacy is Not What You Think it is.

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Online Privacy is Not What You Think it is.

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Internet security and protecting information is something many people take for granted. You may be as protected as you think you are. Read this and learn how to take steps to protect yourself and your students privacy.

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When all has failed and those young people just refuse to listen to what is good for them, watch this video and learn how to block any website on a computer running Windows 10.

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How to block any website on Windows 10 (Easy Method!)

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LIfelock is a company that specializes in protecting your private information online. Here their specialists offer some advice for staying safe while shopping online.

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Online shopping is easy to love. What's more fun than finding what you need and-after a few clicks and a short wait-having it show up at your door

Except when it doesn't. In 2016, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center received nearly 300,000 online-theft complaints, and victims lost a total of $1.3 billion. It's safe to say fake companies and identity thieves can turn the joy of buying into a hassle.

What to do? Don't click that buy button until you check out these tips to help you do safe online shopping.

1. Shop where you trust

Shopping IRL (in real life) offers this advantage: You'll usually know the business and the inventory exist. But on the web, some businesses are fabricated by people who just want your credit card information and other personal details. Consider doing online business only with retailers you trust and have shopped with before.

2. Size up the business

Break out your detective skills when you want to buy something from a new merchant. Does the company interact with a social media following? What do its customer reviews say? Does it have a history of scam reports or complaints at the Better Business Bureau? Take it one step further by contacting the business. If there's no email address, phone number or address for a brick-and-mortar location, that could be a red flag that it's a fake company.

3. Beware rock-bottom prices

If a website offers something that looks too good to be true-like rock-bottom prices or an endless supply of free smartphones-then it probably is. Use similar websites to compare prices and pictures of the merchandise. Perpetually low prices could be a red flag that the business doesn't have those items in stock. The website may exist only to get your personal information.

4. Avoid public Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi networks use public airwaves. With a little tech know-how and the freely available Wi-Fi password at your favorite coffee shop, someone can intercept what you're looking at on the web. That can include emails, browsing history or passwords. Shopping online usually means giving out information that an identity thief would love to grab, including your name and credit card information. Bottom line: It's never a good idea to shop online or log in to any website while you're connected to public Wi-Fi.

5. Use a VPN

If you must shop online on public Wi-Fi, use a VPN (virtual private network). A VPN creates an encrypted connection between your computer and the VPN server. Think of it as a tunnel your Internet traffic goes through while you browse the web. Hackers lurking nearby can't intercept it, even if they have the password for the Wi-Fi network you're using. A VPN means you'll likely have a safe way to shop online while you're on public Wi-Fi.

6. Use a strong password

If someone has the password to your account, they can log in, change the shipping address, and order things while you get stuck with the bill. Help keep your account safe by locking it with a strong password. Here are some tips on how:

Use a complex set of lowercase and uppercase numbers, letters, and symbols.

Avoid words that come from a dictionary.

Don't use personal information that others can find or guess, such as birthdates, your kids' names or your favorite color.

And don't use the same password-however strong-on multiple accounts. A data breach at one company could give criminals access to your other, shared-password accounts.

7. Check out the webpage security

You've probably seen that small lock icon in the corner of your URL field. That lock signals you that the web page you're on has privacy protection installed. It's called a "secure sockets layer." Plus, the URL will start with "https," for "hyper text transfer protocol secure." These websites mask and transfer data you share, typically on pages that ask for passwords or financial info. If you don't see that lock or the "s" after "http," then the webpage isn't secure. Because there is no privacy protection attached to these pages, we suggest you exercise caution before providing your credit card information over these sites.

8. Watch out for email scams

Sometimes something in your email in-box can stir your consumer cravings. For instance, it might be tempting to open an email that promises a "special offer." But that offer could be special in a bad way. Clicking on emails from unknown senders and unrecognizable sellers could infect your computer with viruses and malware. It's better to play it safe. Delete them, don't click on any links, and don't open any attachments from individuals or businesses you are unfamiliar with.

9. Don't give out more information than you need to

Here's a rule of thumb: No shopping website will ever need your Social Security number. If you're asked for very personal details, call the customer service line and ask whether you can supply some other identifying information. Or just walk away.

10. Pay with a credit card

When using a credit card, you'll usually get the best liability protection-online and offline. Here's why.

If someone racks up unauthorized charges on your credit card, federal regulations say you won't have to pay while the card company investigates. Most major credit cards offer $0 liability for fraudulent purchases.

Meanwhile, your liability for unauthorized charges on your debit card is capped at $50, if you report it within two business days. But if someone uses your account and you don't report the theft, after 60 days you may not be reimbursed at all.

11. Try a virtual credit card

Some banks offer nifty tools that act like an online version of your card: a virtual credit card. The issuer will randomly generate a number that's linked to your account, and you can use it anywhere online and choose when the number expires. It might be best to generate a new number every time you buy something online, or when you shop with a new retailer. Anyone who tries to use that number will be out of luck.

12. Check your statements regularly

Check your statements for fraudulent charges at least once a week, or set up account alerts. When you receive a text or email about a charge, you can check the message and likely easily recall whether you made the charge.

13. Mind the details

After you make the purchase, keep these items in a safe place: the receipt, order confirmation number and postal tracking number. If you have a problem with the order, this information will help the merchant resolve the problem.

14. Take action if you don't get your stuff

Call the merchant and provide the details noted in Tip 13. If the merchant turns out to be fake, or they're just plain unhelpful, then your credit card provider can help you sort out the problem. Often, they can remove the charge from your statement.

15. Report the company

If you suspect the business is bogus, notify your credit card company about the charge and close your account. File a complaint with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. Tip: The FTC offers an identity theft recovery plan, should you need it.

See also: Identity Theft Protection vs. Credit Monitoring: What's the Difference?

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Online shopping is easy to love. What's more fun than finding what you need and-after a few clicks and a short wait-having it show up at your door Except when it doesn't. In 2016, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center received nearly 300,000 online-theft complaints, and victims lost a total of $1.3 billion.

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One of the many pitfalls of today's information superhighway is the proliferation of mis-information AKA FAKE NEWS! What is it, and how do you spot it or verify a news item is actually the truth? Look here for some good sources. But be cautious here too.

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Fake news is nothing new. But bogus stories can reach more people more quickly via social media than what good old-fashioned viral emails could accomplish in years past.

Concern about the phenomenon led Facebook and Google to announce that they'll crack down on fake news sites, restricting their ability to garner ad revenue. Perhaps that could dissipate the amount of malarkey online, though news consumers themselves are the best defense against the spread of misinformation.

Not all of the misinformation being passed along online is complete fiction, though some of it is. Snopes.com has been exposing false viral claims since the mid 1990s, whether that's fabricated messages, distortions containing bits of truth and everything in between. Founder David Mikkelson warned in a Nov. 17 article not to lump everything into the "fake news" category. "The fictions and fabrications that comprise fake news are but a subset of the larger bad news phenomenon, which also encompasses many forms of shoddy, unresearched, error-filled, and deliberately misleading reporting that do a disservice to everyone," he wrote.

A lot of these viral claims aren't "news" at all, but fiction, satire and efforts to fool readers into thinking they're for real.

We've long encouraged readers to be skeptical of viral claims, and make good use of the delete key when a chain email hits their inboxes. In December 2007, we launched our Ask FactCheck feature, where we answer readers' questions, the vast majority of which concern viral emails, social media memes and the like. Our first story was about a made-up email that claimed then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wanted to put a "windfall" tax on all stock profits of 100 percent and give the money to, the email claimed, "the 12 Million Illegal Immigrants and other unemployed minorities." We called it "a malicious fabrication" - that's "fake news" in today's parlance.

In 2008, we tried to get readers to rid their inboxes of this kind of garbage. We described a list of red flags - we called them Key Characteristics of Bogusness - that were clear tip-offs that a chain email wasn't legitimate. Among them: an anonymous author; excessive exclamation points, capital letters and misspellings; entreaties that "This is NOT a hoax!"; and links to sourcing that does not support or completely contradicts the claims being made.

Those all still hold true, but fake stories - as in, completely made-up "news" - have grown more sophisticated, often presented on a site designed to look (sort of) like a legitimate news organization. Still, we find it's easy to figure out what's real and what's imaginary if you're armed with some critical thinking and fact-checking tools of the trade.

Here's our advice on how to spot a fake:

Consider the source. In recent months, we've fact-checked fake news from abcnews.com.co (not the actual URL for ABC News), WTOE 5 News (whose "about" page says it's "a fantasy news website"), and the Boston Tribune (whose "contact us" page lists only a gmail address). Earlier this year, we debunked the claim that the Obamas were buying a vacation home in Dubai, a made-up missive that came from WhatDoesItMean.com, which describes itself as "One Of The Top Ranked Websites In The World for New World Order, Conspiracy Theories and Alternative News" and further says on its site that most of what it publishes is fiction.

Clearly, some of these sites do provide a "fantasy news" or satire warning, like WTOE 5, which published the bogus headline, "Pope Francis Shocks World, Endorses Donald Trump for President, Releases Statement." Others aren't so upfront, like the Boston Tribune, which doesn't provide any information on its mission, staff members or physical location - further signs that maybe this site isn't a legitimate news organization. The site, in fact, changed its name from Associated Media Coverage, after its work had been debunked by fact-checking organizations.

Snopes.com, which has been writing about viral claims and online rumors since the mid-1990s, maintains a list of known fake news websites, several of which have emerged in the past two years.

Read beyond the headline. If a provocative headline drew your attention, read a little further before you decide to pass along the shocking information. Even in legitimate news stories, the headline doesn't always tell the whole story. But fake news, particularly efforts to be satirical, can include several revealing signs in the text. That abcnews.com.co story that we checked, headlined "Obama Signs Executive Order Banning The Pledge Of Allegiance In Schools Nationwide," went on to quote "Fappy the Anti-Masturbation Dolphin." We have to assume that the many readers who asked us whether this viral rumor was true hadn't read the full story.

Check the author. Another tell-tale sign of a fake story is often the byline. The pledge of allegiance story on abcnews.com.co was supposedly written by "Jimmy Rustling." Who is he? Well, his author page claims he is a "doctor" who won "fourteen Peabody awards and a handful of Pulitzer Prizes." Pretty impressive, if true. But it's not. No one by the name of "Rustling" has won a Pulitzer or Peabody award. The photo accompanying Rustling's bio is also displayed on another bogus story on a different site, but this time under the byline " Darius Rubics." The Dubai story was written by "Sorcha Faal, and as reported to her Western Subscribers." The Pope Francis story has no byline at all.

What's the support? Many times these bogus stories will cite official - or official-sounding - sources, but once you look into it, the source doesn't back up the claim. For instance, the Boston Tribune site wrongly claimed that President Obama's mother-in-law was going to get a lifetime government pension for having babysat her granddaughters in the White House, citing "the Civil Service Retirement Act" and providing a link. But the link to a government benefits website doesn't support the claim at all.

The banning-the-pledge story cites the number of an actual executive order - you can look it up. It doesn't have anything to do with the Pledge of Allegiance.

Another viral claim we checked a year ago was a graphic purporting to show crime statistics on the percentage of whites killed by blacks and other murder statistics by race. Then-presidential candidate Donald Trump retweeted it, telling Fox News commentator Bill O'Reilly that it came "from sources that are very credible." But almost every figure in the image was wrong - FBI crime data is publicly available - and the supposed source given for the data, "Crime Statistics Bureau - San Francisco," doesn't exist.

Recently, we've received several questions about a fake news story on the admittedly satirical site Nevada County Scooper, which wrote that Vice President-elect Mike Pence, in a "surprise announcement," credited gay conversion therapy for saving his marriage. Clearly such a "surprise announcement" would garner media coverage beyond a website you've never heard of. In fact, if you Google this, the first link that comes up is a Snopes.com article revealing that this is fake news.

Check the date. Some false stories aren't completely fake, but rather distortions of real events. These mendacious claims can take a legitimate news story and twist what it says - or even claim that something that happened long ago is related to current events.

Since Trump was elected president, we've received many inquiries from readers wanting to know whether Ford had moved car production from Mexico to Ohio, because of Trump's election. Readers cited various blog items that quoted from and linked to a CNN Money article titled " Ford shifts truck production from Mexico to Ohio." But that story is from August 2015, clearly not evidence of Ford making any move due to the outcome of the election. (A reminder again to check the support for these claims.)

One deceptive website didn't credit CNN, but instead took CNN's 2015 story and slapped a new headline and publication date on it, claiming, "Since Donald Trump Won The Presidency... Ford Shifts Truck Production From Mexico To Ohio." Not only is that a bogus headline, but the deception involves copyright infringement.

If this Ford story sounds familiar, that's because the CNN article has been distorted before.

In October 2015, Trump wrongly boasted that Ford had changed its plans to build new plants in Mexico, and instead would build a plant in Ohio. Trump took credit for Ford's alleged change of heart and tweeted a link to a story on a blog called Prntly.com, which cited the CNN Money story. But Ford hadn't changed its plans at all, and Trump deserved no credit.

In fact, the CNN article was about the transfer of some pickup assembly work from Mexico to Ohio, a move that was announced by Ford in March 2014. The plans for new plants in Mexico were still on, Ford said. "Ford has not spoken with Mr. Trump, nor have we made any changes to our plans," Ford said in a statement.

Is this some kind of joke? Remember, there is such thing as satire. Normally, it's clearly labeled as such, and sometimes it's even funny. Andy Borowitz has been writing a satirical news column, the Borowitz Report, since 2001, and it has appeared in the New Yorker since 2012. But not everyone gets the jokes. We've fielded several questions on whether Borowitz's work is true.

Among the headlines our readers have flagged: " Putin Appears with Trump in Flurry of Swing-State Rallies" and " Trump Threatens to Skip Remaining Debates If Hillary Is There." When we told readers these were satirical columns, some indicated that they suspected the details were far-fetched but wanted to be sure.

And then there's the more debatable forms of satire, designed to pull one over on the reader. That "Fappy the Anti-Masturbation Dolphin" story? That's the work of online hoaxer Paul Horner, whose "greatest coup," as described by the Washington Post in 2014, was when Fox News mentioned, as fact, a fake piece titled, "Obama uses own money to open Muslim museum amid government shutdown." Horner told the Post after the election that he was concerned his hoaxes aimed at Trump supporters may have helped the campaign.

The posts by Horner and others - whether termed satire or simply "fake news" - are designed to encourage clicks, and generate money for the creator through ad revenue. Horner told the Washington Post he makes a living off his posts. Asked why his material gets so many views, Horner responded, "They just keep passing stuff around. Nobody fact-checks anything anymore."

Check your biases. We know this is difficult. Confirmation bias leads people to put more stock in information that confirms their beliefs and discount information that doesn't. But the next time you're automatically appalled at some Facebook post concerning, say, a politician you oppose, take a moment to check it out.

Try this simple test: What other stories have been posted to the "news" website that is the source of the story that just popped up in your Facebook feed? You may be predisposed to believe that Obama bought a house in Dubai, but how about a story on the same site that carries this headline: " Antarctica 'Guardians' Retaliate Against America With Massive New Zealand Earthquake." That, too, was written by the prolific "Sorcha Faal, and as reported to her Western Subscribers."

We're encouraged by some of the responses we get from readers, who - like the ones uncertain of Borowitz's columns - express doubt in the outrageous, and just want to be sure their skepticism is justified. But we are equally discouraged when we see debunked claims gain new life.

We've seen the resurgence of a fake quote from Donald Trump since the election - a viral image that circulated last year claims Trump told People magazine in 1998: "If I were to run, I'd run as a Republican. They're the dumbest group of voters in the country. They believe anything on Fox News. I could lie and they'd still eat it up. I bet my numbers would be terrific." We found no such quote in People's archives from 1998, or any other year. And a public relations representative for the magazine confirmed that. People' s Julie Farin told us in an email last year: "We combed through every Trump story in our archive. We couldn't find anything remotely like this quote -and no interview at all in 1998."

Comedian Amy Schumer may have contributed to the revival of this fake meme. She put it on Instagram, adding at the end of a lengthy message, "Yes this quote is fake but it doesn't matter."

Consult the experts. We know you're busy, and some of this debunking takes time. But we get paid to do this kind of work. Between FactCheck.org, Snopes.com, the Washington Post Fact Checker and PolitiFact.com, it's likely at least one has already fact-checked the latest viral claim to pop up in your news feed.

FactCheck.org was among a network of independent fact-checkers who signed an open letter to Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg suggesting that Facebook "start an open conversation on the principles that could underpin a more accurate news ecosystem on its News Feed." We hope that conversation happens, but news readers themselves remain the first line of defense against fake news.

On our Viral Spiral page, we list some of the claims we get asked about the most; all of our Ask FactChecks can be found here. And if you encounter a new claim you'd like us to investigate, email us at editor@factcheck.org.

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Fake news is nothing new. But bogus stories can reach more people more quickly via social media than what good old-fashioned viral emails could accomplish in years past.

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What About Other Information on the Internet?

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What About Other Information on the Internet?

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Educators and students alike still do research. Instead of books, most if not all of us use the internet to begin researching a topic of interest. Watch and use this short video to help understand what good research and information looks like.

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Finding Credible Sources for Your Research Paper - ResearchReady.com