2018 is just a couple of weeks away. 2017 was a wild year. Instead of talking about all of that stuff, I want to use this Sunday’s Op-Ed to bring up issues that need to change in the tech world for next year. I might sound like an old man and a grump, but here’s the stuff I’m tired of and hope they change for 2018.
Get off your parent’s cell phone plan if you’re over 25
Come on man. If you’re still on your parent’s cell phone plan and you have a job, have your own health insurance and are maybe even married with kids, get off your parent’s cell phone plan. Maybe this issue is related to just the people I know, but there are so many people now who grew up on their parent’s cell phone plans (millennials) and they’re still on their parent’s plans. I’m an old millennial (technically I think, 1980), and all of you who are still on your parent’s plan is making the accusations about millennials being babied true.
Sure you might be paying your parents with a flat rate, but not only are you’re using all of their data (which you should be paying your fair share for), but you’re locking them into higher priced plans that they don’t need to be on. If you’re over 25, that increases the odds that your parents qualify for senior discounts aimed specifically at them. The problem is they can’t take advantage of those discounts because you’re too damn cheap to get off your parent’s teat. You probably pay for everything else: car insurance, health insurance, food, rent, mortgage, and electricity, so just get off their plan and let them live their golden years without paying for your cell phone.
I’ll list out the top plans for seniors:
- $60 at T-Mobile for two lines with unlimited talk, text and LTE data for people over 55+.
- Consumer Cellular offers unlimited talk, text and 3GB of data for two lines for just $52.75.
Just stop now. Go get your own plan like an adult.
I’m from the group that hates Facebook. I think it’s a waste of time. I don’t have kids, nor do I need to post things online that most people probably don’t care about anyways. I think there are way too many ignorant people who make ridiculous comments that drag society down into the pits of destruction, and more importantly, it doesn’t help build real relationships.
Clearly, I’m in the minority here, so feel free to send me hate comments on why I am wrong. Regardless if I’m in the minority, I am entitled to my opinion. This is a Sunday op-ed so I’m free to sound off.
I deleted or deactivated my Facebook account quite a long time ago. But now Facebook sends me spam text messages to my phone trying to lure me back into activating my account. It feels so much like a scam – every time I block an incoming number from Facebook, a new one pops up. The FCC needs to stop this or regulate Facebook for its terrible behavior.
Facebook doesn’t have the moral compass to leave people alone, instead, it annoys and tries to trick people into signing up for its service.
Stop it Facebook. No means no.
Spam Callers
How many spam calls do you get per day on your cell phone? I get at least 10 per day, mostly from health insurance companies trying to get me signed up for 2018 even though I already have full health, dental and vision through the company that pays me for my day job. I also get calls from scammers claiming I’m going to jail for back taxes, and free trips all over the world just because my name was drawn.
Now that the FCC has rolled back net neutrality, can the good people there spend some time on things that bug us most? Spam callers are not only annoying, but they are a huge source of identity theft and stolen money. Everyone is vulnerable to these tricky tactics, and the old method of registering your number at the FCC to prevent spam callers doesn’t work at all.
AT&T, T-Mobile has teamed up with Hiya to offer free call identification so people can identify spammers, but Verizon and Sprint need to join the battle too. This is a clear case of taxpayer dollars not working for us with the FCC inability to stop this behavior.
The number one tip to prevent fraud: do not answer the call and send it straight to voicemail. Don’t answer to harass them back and don’t even answer to say “Hi” or to answer a question and say “yes”. The people on the other end could be recording your voice to steal your information from bank institutions.
If you want an extra layer of protection and own an Android or iPhone, try installing Hiya or Truecaller to help identify spammers. The apps aren’t perfect, but they’re way better than nothing.
Anyways, I’ll drop the mic here.
I hope you have a wonderful holiday season. Stay safe, stay warm and be kind to someone you don’t know.