You have been watching your favorite YouTube channel and before the YouTuber starts getting to the gist of the video, they first tell you about the brand new VPN they’re using. They talk about how it helps them with their internet usage and protects them from virtual evil eyes. But you don’t really understand it, so of course, like a good netizen, you go on the internet to search for what this random bunch of letters means. Well, dear reader, we will tell you what VPN is and how you can use it like your favorite YouTuber does.
What does VPN stand for?
VPN or Virtual Private Network works quite literally like what the acronym stands for. When you get a Virtual Private Network, you become a member of a community of computers that hides their IP addresses through a server, or “Network.” It is “Private” and “Virtual” because it keeps your identity and location masked from the online world.
Think of it as a PO Box that you can subscribe to. You know where your real home address is, but everything that comes from the mail is routed to your PO Box to ensure your safety. VPN is very much like a virtual PO Box, except you can use it for so many other things.
How To Use It?
It is quite simple to use VPN even if you’re not a “techie” person. All you have to do is go to your chosen website that supplies it, maybe the one your favorite YouTuber advertises, and create an account with them. They often have discount codes or a month of free trial so you can check out how well they can mask your IP address or online location.
If you’re working an information-sensitive job and deal with a lot of confidential stuff, you need to get a Virtual Private Network because it can hide your emails, messages, and call logs. It also masks where your server or IP address is, making it untraceable to your home.
I personally use a Virtual Private Network to get the best out of my streaming subscriptions. It’s a widely known fact that Netflix doesn’t have the same content for every country. They restrict offers based on what subscribers from a certain location traditionally liked. If you have a VPN, you can mask your location, log in, and choose the country of your choosing to get advantage of your subscriptions.
Another use of it is to bypass government restrictions on social media. In China, for example, you can’t use Facebook or Twitter at all because they have their own social networking sites. However, if you use VPN, you can go to your accounts like you usually do. So when you’re traveling to countries that control the online consumption of its citizens, subscribe to a VPN service that caters to them first, so you’ll have no trouble going online.
A Virtual Private Network is very helpful if you are often online. It’ll only set you back around $10 per month on average. So revisit that video on your favorite YouTuber and check out what they’re advertising, they might still have a discount code for you!