Cyber Week Shopping and "Upgrade Your Parents Browser" Day Tips

Cyber Monday , the biggest online shopping event, kicks off on the Monday after Thanksgiving. Cyber Week is like Black Friday, except that it happens at your computer and not in a store. Many people like cyber shopping: no standing in line, no dodging pushy shoppers, no tired feet, no need to get up early or deal with the chaos. Cyber shopping requires some finesse and lots of caution, though. Here are tips to make your Cyber Week merry.

Safe cyber shopping tips

Techies warn shoppers not to veer too far off the beaten path hunting up the cyber deals. A website may lure shoppers in with promises of rock-bottom toy prices. However if the vendor is only a digital "warehouse" and not a reputable business, the best deals aren't worth it. They suggest sticking to familiar store websites and online vendors like Toys R Us, Walmart, Target, Barnes & Noble, Best Buy and Amazon. Tech-perts also remind parents to look for the "s" at the end of the URL prefix. A secure site URL will begin with "https://" instead of just "http://."

Safe toys

People shopping for children are cautioned against buying unfamiliar toy products or brands and to avoid toy knock-offs. These are cheaper variations of recognized game and toy brands. The generic toy version may not be made with the same safety standards as they original product they are styled after. The ASTM (American Society of Testing and Materials) has created a series of codes to ensure toy and craft supply safety. They test toys for durability, chemical content, lead and phthalate levels and small part choking hazards. The ASTM says to look for their seal of approval on toys and children's products. The Consumer Product Safety Commission also maintains a database of recalled toys so parents can avoid dangerous products. Currently, children's novelty slippers have been recalled for the holiday season, due to detachable characters heads that have caused choking.


Upgrade your parents' browser

Some tech gurus are calling Cyber Monday "upgrade your parents' browser" Monday. Many older parents love the ease and convenience of shopping, but aren't always tech savvy enough to shop safely. Teens and young adults, if your parents use the computer without really understanding it, consider giving their PC a tune-up. This may prevent them from inadvertently opening themselves up to a plethora of malware or viruses while cyber-shopping.