It is possible to encrypt your data through the secure connection of a VPN. But there are other ways to protect your data and make sure your conversations stay private. Secure (and often free) instant messaging software like AirWatch Chat, Crypocat or Pidgin and Adium will be able to code the content of your messages so that they are only readable for the recipient. Ditto for your emails, which you can encrypt the content using secure mailboxes like Cyphr, TorGuard or SecureMail.

Another good thing to do to protect your data online is to choose your passwords. If many users just use the same for all the platforms they use, it is better to go through a password manager (which are often free and available in open source) in order to generate a unique for different sites or applications that you can use. You will then only have to remember that of your password manager, who will be responsible for storing all others away from prying eyes (like keyloggers).