How To Keep Your Electronic Devices Safe
Our electronic devices are no longer a luxury but essentials of our daily lives. Our work and leisure are both achieved through our laptops and smartphones. For something so important, know how to keep these devices safe and secure.
The other day, I was watching a movie at home when I heard a crash. I looked at the source and was shocked to see my new Macbook Pro on the hard floor. I had left it on my subwoofer and some particularly heavy bass had managed to shake it right off.
Fortunately, it turned out no damage had been done. But for a few moments, I was imagining the huge sum of money I'd have to lay out to have it fixed or – worse – to buy a new one.
The thing about electronic devices in 2021 is that they are not luxuries. I use my laptop every day for work, and the same is true for my phone. I can't actually get anything done without them. This is why it is so important to keep your electronic devices safe or to have a backup plan.
Some of these tips are difficult to stick to, but if you ignore them and something goes wrong, you'll kick yourself.Insure your electronics
Most people don't insure their electronic devices, considering them not worth the added expense. But when you totally rely on something worth thousands of dollars, paying the extra for insurance makes sense.
At least insure your laptop. Phone insurance is not as necessary, as you probably have an older device lying around that does everything you need it to. Alternatively, find a suitable policy for your laptop that includes your phone at a minimal cost.
There is no way to completely guard against accidents. We all get careless. With insurance, however, those accidents are far less catastrophic.Put your laptop away
It is a good idea to have a space to keep your laptop when you're done with it, rather than leaving it on your desk. This is not necessarily because your desk is unsafe, but it gets you in the habit of being more careful. It becomes less likely that your laptop falls victim to the vibrations of a heavy bassline.
This is particularly important advice if you have children or friends or family with children who visit. When my niece and nephew come over, everything within their reach is fair game. Leaving a laptop out is asking for a painful lesson.Use a phone grip
We become more careless with our phones by the day. Once upon a time, we would be wary of putting them in our pockets for fear of dirt. Now, we use them in the bathroom. This is partly because phones are more robust than they were, but also because we have become desensitized to their vulnerability.
This is no reason to change your phone habits. Rather, get a phone grip (or PopSocket) that sticks to the back of your phone case. A phone grip makes your phone a lot more difficult to drop, as you comfortably squeeze it between your fingers.
A phone grip does make your phone bulkier, but it is well worth it.Keep food and drink away from your laptop
We all know that it is better not to eat or drink while using our laptops. Even without the risk of spilling, our keyboards get incredibly dirty and it is not a good idea hygiene-wise. However, that does not necessarily stop us.
In the same way that we ignore the instructions not to put cotton earbuds in our ears, we assume that not keeping food away from our laptops is for everyone else. It's worthwhile to start taking this seriously, though, as you are one moment of carelessness away from causing expensive damage.Photos are not always worth it
One of the most common ways people damage their phones is by taking them where they shouldn't go. They hold it in their hand as they climb up a rocky mountain pass. They bring it into the shallows with them at the beach.
The goal, of course, is to take photos. But most photos are not worth the risk. Think about whether you are ever going to look at the photo. Think about whether an Instagram post is worth destroying your phone for. If the answer is yes, go ahead, but for most of us, photos are not as important as we seem to think they are.
