There are lots of chances throughout the period between Thanksgiving and the New Year, such as spending time with family, enjoying delicious meals and snacks, exchanging gifts, and making charity contributions. Children and some adults also take a break from work or school during this period.
Naturally, technology is involved in practically every part of the holidays, from meal planning to researching and purchasing gifts online to locating family-friendly Christmas activities to researching and contributing to deserving charity.
Scammers that offer offers that seem too good to be true are among the unfortunate grinches that emerge during this time of year. Others ask for money that ends up in their own pockets instead of a charity.
Children may be tempted to spend more time online during the season as they are off from school for at least a portion of it. Depending on what they are doing, what it is interfering with, and how it makes them feel, this can be either a good or terrible thing.
First, let’s talk about gifts. In the next weeks, you’ll see a lot of offers online, but be sure they’re from a reliable source before giving your credit or debit card. Make sure you spell the website address correctly if you visit an online store, and if you are unfamiliar with the store, do some research to determine whether it is reputable. While this isn’t always the case, looking for the store’s name followed by fraud will frequently provide you with some hints. Additionally, you ought to search for evaluations and rankings from reliable websites like Google and Yelp. Verify if there are safe payment methods available and look for complaints on the Better Business Bureau’s website. Steer clear of bank transactions and wire transfers. To find out how long a website has been up and running, use resources like Whois or Domain Age Checker. A domain that has just been registered could be hazardous.
Due to fraud protection, using a credit card is your best option. Although debit cards usually offer fraud protection as well, they take money out of your account instantly, so if there is any indication of fraud, you will need to ask to get the money returned. Never use a gift card or wire transfer unless the retailer is issuing the card. You might not have any options after the check is cashed if you pay with a check. Among the trustworthy payment methods with some fraud protection are PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay.
Pay attention to the return policy while purchasing gifts. When it comes to what they will accept as returns, some retailers are better than others, but many provide extended return windows over the holiday season. I like using e-merchants that make returns easy and less expensive, including being able to drop them off at local stores or shipping companies with free return shipping. In order to avoid paying additional shipping fees, I typically have the merchant send gifts to recipients who reside out of town. To make sure it’s a present, I also check to see whether there is a box. For instance, Amazon will provide a complimentary gift greeting and conceal costs on the packing slip.
It can be challenging to choose the ideal present, but ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Meta.Ai, and other generative AI chatbots have all given me helpful ideas. Just describe what you know about the person such as age, gender, likes, taste in music, sports or activities and ask it to suggest a gift. I was amazed at how many suggestions Meta.AI and ChatGPT came up with for 16-year-old girl who likes Taylor Swift. I guess I shouldn t be surprised to learn that she has a holiday collection of merchandise.
This is also a time when we get a lot of solicitations for charitable contributions. If you get one from a charity you trust, make sure you re entering the right web address. Scammers will solicit money using the name and even graphics from legitimate charities with links to fake sites. When in doubt, type in the charity name. If you re not sure about a charity, you can research it at sites such as Charity Navigator or GuideStar.
If you re looking for an end-of-the-year tax deduction, be aware that the rules changed a few years ago. You might not be able to take a deduction if you itemize. If you re taking a Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) from a retirement account, you may be able to get a deduction if you have your financial institution make the payment, even if you don t itemize.
If you have school-aged children or grandchildren, they might want to spend more time on social media, interacting with friends or watching online video. That might be OK, especially if they re doing activities they enjoy and they leave plenty of time for other activities. But it s also a time to remind them about scams and people who might use online platforms to abuse or exploit them. Most teens these days are pretty clued-into these threats, but it s still a good idea to have a conversation. Perhaps start by asking them how they handle these issues. It s also a good time to ask about their favorite apps and games, why they enjoy them and how they make them feel. Always make it a conversation, never a lecture or inquisition. If you re giving a young person a phone, computer or connected gaming platform, this is a good time to talk about responsible use. ConnectSafely hasparent guidesand conciseQuick Guidesto popular apps that might be a good conversation starter.
In addition to the online things, suggest activities that benefit the family such as helping with gift ideas, recipes or places to visit during the holidays. Most people like sharing their expertise, so take advantage of what your kids know to help you and help them feel included and respected for what they can contribute. If you plan to make contributions, you might ask them to help you pick charities or causes or they could go online to find community activities such as helping with food distribution or clothing for those who need it. ConnectSafely has a variety of Family Contracts & Pledges atConnectSafely.org/contracts
Have a great holiday season.
Larry Magid is a tech journalist and internet safety activist. Contact him at [email protected].
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