We've 'Normalized' Chronic Stress. A UConn Expert Explains Why It's Harming Americans

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What are cookies?

Web cookies (also called HTTP cookies, browser cookies, or simply cookies) are small pieces of data that websites store on your device (computer, phone, etc.) through your web browser. They are used to remember information about you and your interactions with the site.

Purpose of Cookies:

Session Management:
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- Remembering items in a shopping cart
- Saving language or theme preferences
Personalization:
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Tracking & Analytics:
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Types of Cookies:

Session Cookies:
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- Used for things like keeping you logged in during a single session
Persistent Cookies:
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First-Party Cookies:
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Third-Party Cookies:
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Authentication Cookies

Authentication cookies are a special type of web cookie used to identify and verify a user after they log in to a website or web application.

What They Do:

Once you log in to a site, the server creates an authentication cookie and sends it to your browser. This cookie:

Proves to the website that you're logged in
Prevents you from having to log in again on every page you visit
Can persist across sessions if you select "Remember me"

What's Inside an Authentication cookie?

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A unique session ID (not your actual password)
Optional metadata (e.g., expiration time, security flags)

Analytics Cookies

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How users navigate the site
Which pages are most/least visited
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What device, browser, or location the user is from

What They Track:

Some examples of data analytics cookies may collect:

Page views and time spent on pages
Click paths (how users move from page to page)
Bounce rate (users who leave without interacting)
User demographics (location, language, device)
Referring websites (how users arrived at the site)

Opt Out

Here's how you can disable cookies in common browsers:

1. Google Chrome

Open Chrome and click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy and security > cookies and other site data.
Choose your preferred option:
- Block all cookies (not recommended, can break most websites).
- Block third-party cookies (can block ads and tracking cookies).

2. Mozilla Firefox

Open Firefox and click the three horizontal lines in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy & Security.
Under the Enhanced Tracking Protection section, choose Strict to block most cookies or Custom to manually choose which cookies to block.

3. Safari

Open Safari and click Safari in the top-left corner of the screen.
Go to Preferences > Privacy.
Check Block all cookies to stop all cookies, or select options to block third-party cookies.

4. Microsoft Edge

Open Edge and click the three horizontal dots in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy, search, and services > cookies and site permissions.
Select your cookie settings from there, including blocking all cookies or blocking third-party cookies.

5. On Mobile (iOS/Android)

For Safari on iOS: Go to Settings > Safari > Privacy & Security > Block All cookies.
For Chrome on Android: Open the app, tap the three dots, go to Settings > Privacy and security > cookies.

Be Aware:

Disabling cookies can make your online experience more difficult. Some websites may not load properly, or you may be logged out frequently. Also, certain features may not work as expected.

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We’ve ‘Normalized’ Chronic Stress. A UConn Expert Explains Why It’s Harming Americans

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