Educational Resources

Click the button below to get a printable PDF of our Digital Safety & Protection Guide cheat sheet

Cheat Sheet

Local police and town websites

Connecticut Department of consumer protection: https://portal.ct.gov/dcp/common-elements/common-elements/fraud-and-scams

Connecticut Department of banking: https://portal.ct.gov/dob/consumer/consumer-education/phishing-scams

Fairfield Police: https://www.fpdct.com/community/crime_prevention/scam_prevention.php

Federal government websites

Federal Trade Commission: https://consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-avoid-phishing-scams

Department of Financial Protection and Innovation: https://dfpi.ca.gov/news/insights/consumer-financial-education-fraud-and-scam-awareness/

Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (Treasury department): https://www.occ.gov/topics/consumers-and-communities/consumer-protection/fraud-resources/pub-phishing-brochure.pdf

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau : https://www.consumerfinance.gov/consumer-tools/fraud/

Trade organization and industry websites

American Bankers Association: https://www.banksneveraskthat.com/

Cisco: https://www.cisco.com/site/us/en/learn/topics/security/what-is-phishing.html

Microsoft: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/protect-yourself-from-phishing-0c7ea947-ba98-3bd9-7184-430e1f860a44

Consumer reports article: https://www.consumerreports.org/media-room/press-releases/2025/10/consumer-reports-study-finds-surge-in-texting-and-messaging-scams/

What’s the Data for Healthy Aging in a Digital World?

There is a strong relationship between digital literacy and smart device use with slower rates of cognitive decline: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39539034/, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4202262/,

Cognitive function maintains independence and ability to drive: https://aaafoundation.org/research/in-vehicle-technology-use-and-associated-factors-among-older-drivers/, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13362249/

Aging and cognitive decline can be slowed with cognitive interventions: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149763426000266?via%3Dihub

Aging and functional decline is not unstoppable, and the aging brain excels in multiple domains: https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/2026-sept-aging-brain.html

Self belief about healthy aging directly impacts aging outcomes: https://www.verywellhealth.com/yale-study-shows-you-can-get-better-with-age-12011012

Simple Daily Habits for Digital Well-Being

Small, practical routines to keep your mind sharp, stay connected, and maintain lifelong independence.

1. Send one quick note a day

  • What to do: Take five minutes each morning to text a photo, a voice memo, or a message to a friend or family member.

  • Why it helps: It keeps your bonds strong and gets your brain engaged first thing in the morning.

2. Check your health portal weekly

  • What to do: Log into your doctor's online portal once a week just to look over upcoming appointments, test results, or your medication list.

  • Why it helps: Managing your own care keeps you independent and ensures nothing slips through the cracks.

3. Map out your week

  • What to do: Spend ten minutes twice a week entering appointments into your calendar or looking up a local transit schedule.

  • Why it helps: Planning your own logistics exercises your memory and keeps your schedule entirely in your hands.

4. Pick one small goal a week

  • What to do: Choose a single task to figure out on your own—like organizing your home screen, adding a new contact, or changing the text size.

  • Why it helps: Steady, low-stress practice builds real confidence so your devices work for you, not the other way around.