Common Myths About Technology
In spite of how often you probably use technology like laptops and smartphones, you might still have some misconceptions about how these tools work. The answers to some of your questions might be more complicated than a basic true or false. But understanding some of the more common myths can help you better spend your time online.
Phone Battery Life
If you’re like most people, you might leave your mobile device charging throughout the night. It probably stays plugged in even after it reaches 100 percent. Some people believe this can damage the battery. This isn’t entirely true. You can safely leave your device plugged in while you sleep. But if your phone is at 100 percent for a long time, it might age a little faster. Another common myth is that you’ll get more battery life out of your phone if you close out unused apps. The truth is that this doesn’t do anything for your phone. So, you can safely leave your social media, calendar, and budgeting apps open to switch between them.
Technology Costs a Lot of Money
Of course, if you purchase the latest phone every time, you will end up spending quite a bit of cash on tech. But when used properly, it can also save you money. For example, there are many apps on the market that can help you manage your finances and stay within a budget. You can even find technology to use if you have debt from school. Many websites offer student loan calculators to help you preview your savings by refinancing. The benefit of these is that they can help better plan your budget. You won’t be committed to anything yet, but you can still see how refinancing can be a benefit.
Online Privacy
Many people choose to use a private or incognito window for the browsing session. It’s a common misconception that these words mean anonymous. But if you are using one of these windows, it just means the browser won’t remember the history. It’s a great option if you don’t want other users of your computer to see what you are doing. But it won’t hide your identity from websites that are visited. That’s important to remember if you’re visiting ones you aren’t allowed to.
Websites can still track you as well. That’s why places you visit online can give you targeted ads. Even if you use private search engines and other tools to try to hide your identity, your online browsing might come back to haunt you someday – especially if there is ever legal action against you. To play it safe, assume that everything you do online can become public. Some people also mistakenly believe that GPS is the only way to be tracked by a mobile phone.
This is one way to pinpoint the location, but it can also be tracked using cell towers and Wi-Fi networks. Even information from sensors like the gyroscope and accelerometer in the device can be used to infer the general area. If you truly don’t want to be tracked, it’s best to leave the phone at home.
