Not all email accounts are created the same...

Most of you probably have an email account by now. If you don't, then you really need to roll up your shirt sleeves and start digging into the digital age. Seriously, where have you been?

Even if you already have an email account, it may be one that you signed up for a 10 years ago and haven't changed it since.

Change is good. In this case, very good.

I use Gmail. Should YOU use it? That's entirely up to you and what you want out of your email account. Hotmail is a good alternative if you are a Microsoft fan, however I find that Gmail is largely superior in keeping spam emails out of your inbox.

It can also sync up with Microsoft Outlook, if you have and use Outlook already.

Another advantage to having a Gmail account is that your account can be used across multipleGoogle products which, when combined, can provide you with a one-stop shopping center for most of your internet needs. More on that later, however.

For now, let's start with how to set up a Gmail account. Did I mention that it was free?

Step 1: Delete everything in your URL address field. For those that don't know what that is, it's the box where you type an internet address (e.g. https://www.Amazon.com).

Step 2: Type in the word Gmail and then hold down the CTRL key and press enter. The complete URL for Gmail should auto fill and take you directly to the correct page. By the way CTRL+Enter is the shortcut to filling out an internet address. You can do this with any address that has .com in it. Or, just go here Gmail Account Page.

Step 3: Select the Create an account button in the lower right of the screen.

Step 4: Enter in the required account information and click the I accept. Create my account button. Play around with it and take a look.

Done. It's that easy! You can now log in and read the introduction email that is sitting in your inbox.

Later on I'll cover the various features of Gmail, but for now I just want to get you started because this Gmail account will come in handy later on. Trust me, you'll be glad you did.

If you have any questions about this post, or about setting up a Gmail account, please feel free to post or email me.

Next week: Creating and setting up a Facebook account. If your granddaughter can do it, then so can you.