As online scams grow smarter, the digital gap between generations is being exploited. Here’s why young people must step in to protect the old ones.
As a senior software engineer with several years of experience, I’ve had many encounters with older people trying to navigate the internet. To them, the online world feels like a busy market square – from banking, shopping, paying bills, chatting with friends, or even just watching a video to relax. But like every market square, pickpockets are waiting around the corner. One of the sneakiest tricks they use is something called clickjacking.
Now, if you are reading this and you grew up with the internet, chances are you’ve come across enough scams, pop-ups, and fake websites to smell something fishy before you click. You grew up with it. You know when a site “doesn’t look right.” But for our parents, uncles, aunties, and even grandparents, it’s not always that obvious. And that’s exactly why attackers focus on them – because one wrong click can do a lot of damage.
So, what exactly is clickjacking?
Clickjacking happens when a scammer hides a malicious button or link underneath something innocent. For example, you think you’re pressing a “play” button to watch a video, but what you are really doing is approving a hidden command in the background. That command could be anything from following a shady page to allowing your camera access to even unknowingly transferring money. It’s called “jacking” because your click has been hijacked.
Sounds simple, right? But imagine your 65-year-old dad trying to stream a football match on some random website, or your mum trying to claim a fake “free gift voucher” on Facebook. They’re not thinking about hidden iframes or scripts – they just want to get to what they came for. And before you know it, one careless click has exposed their information.
This is where we, the younger ones, have a role to play.
It’s not just about warning them, “Mummy, don’t click strange links.” It’s about making a real effort to bridge the digital gap between generations. And truth be told, it doesn’t even take much.
Set up their devices properly.
Don’t just buy them a smartphone or a laptop and leave them to figure it out. Take time to enable pop-up blockers, install updated browsers, and make sure automatic updates are turned on. Outdated apps are like open doors for attackers.
Teach them the red flags.
Show them how to hover over a link before clicking to see where it leads. Explain that no bank will ever ask them to “reconfirm their password” through a random pop-up. Let them know that if a website is promising something too good to be true, it’s most likely fake.
Sit with them sometimes.
One of the best ways to help is simply to be present. If your mum or dad is about to sign up for something online, sit down beside them. Watch how they interact with the site. Correct gently. These teaching moments stick more than just one-off warnings.
Encourage patience.
Most scams work because the victim is in a rush. They see a button and quickly click. Remind your older ones that the internet is not going anywhere. If something looks suspicious, it can wait. Better to pause and ask than to regret later.
The truth is, no one is too old to learn, but the pace of the online world can feel overwhelming for them. What feels like “common sense” to us is completely new to them. And this is why scammers thrive – they exploit the fact that technology moved faster than some people could keep up.
Clickjacking is not just a tech issue; it’s a community issue. Because when an elderly parent gets tricked, it doesn’t just affect them. Sometimes their bank details get compromised, or their social media account is used to scam others, or their device gets hijacked and spreads more malicious links. It ripples out.
We owe it to them – the same people who once looked out for us – to now look out for them in this digital world.
So the next time you hear your dad complain that “Bola, this phone is confusing” or your mum say, “Toyin, the computer just asked me to press something,” don’t roll your eyes. Take the time. Show them. Guide them. Because in the end, protecting them from clickjacking and other online traps is not just about technology. It’s about love, patience, and community.
