“Install our app to access this feature”
“Scan the QR code to view our menu”
“It’s much easier if you’d just download our app and do it on there”
These are all phrases that 15-20 years ago would’ve been met with confusion, and yet in a short space of time this has become our “new normal”.
I am a shameless tech enthusiast and a career IT guy, but my level of tech participation is probably akin to a 70 year old. Heck, even my 76 year old Grandfather uses mobile banking. There are multiple reasons why I refuse to install apps for businesses, and rely on the older ways but one of them is to try and support the older generations.
There is a wide range of people, ranging from as low as around 55 all the way up to however the oldest person currently is that have been left behind by societies rapid changes. Changes that were rushed in as a result of the Covid 19 ordeal, and kept around after because it turned out to be cheaper.
These people may just never have taken an interest in technology, maybe they’re scared of it because of all the news coverage of cybercrime, maybe they can’t afford it, or maybe they have a disability that makes it difficult for them to use. For the majority of their adult lives these people have been able to get by without issue.
They pay with cash, cheque, card or over the phone. They go to the bank to pay bills, withdraw and send money and check their balances. When they need to travel somewhere new they look in the map for directions. They read newspapers or watch the news on TV. They keep in contact with family and friends over phone call or just in person, when they’re on holiday they send postcards. They do all of their shopping in person, or at a push through a catalogue.
Some people today; the “digital minimalists” are striving for this kind of life, but for these people it’s just their default. And you know what, I don’t blame them one bit. For us Millennials this technology started to come out while we were young, so it was exciting for us. For Gen-Z people it’s just always been there. But for anyone older they were adults already when this stuff started happening. Of course some of them learnt and embraced it, but for others they were happy with the way their lives worked, why change that?
I used to think these people were just old and lazy but as I grow older myself I’ve begun to understand and sympathise with their situation. I have a similar sentiment to AI. I lived all this time without it successfully, why would I need it now? After all, I’ve been able to learn whatever I’ve wanted, and I’ve managed my whole life thus far without a personal assistant just fine.
Anyway I’m drifting away from my original topic (surprise). There is a growing number of people around the world that if something isn’t done risk being unable to access services. This is a bit of a crude comparison but we make accommodations for disabled people to ensure they can access things, such as ramps for wheelchair users or braille for blind people, why are we not making sure that people can do things regardless of whether or not they have a smartphone in their pocket?
Those of us who are able and have an understanding of technology embraced it because of its convenience, never stopping to give a second thought to the consequences. Nearly all the banks have closed down now in favour of app based banking, think of the knock on effects just from this: The town centres that lose the business from people not bothering to go, as the main purpose of their trip would be to use the bank. The bank tellers, cleaners, and various other workers that lost their jobs from the closure. Finally the people that now have to travel miles to access wherever the nearest remaining bank is, because they don’t have access to the app.
Think of the old couple that went out to a new restaurant that opened, only to find out they have no way of seeing the menu, and no way of paying because the restaurant is “cashless”.
Think of the socially isolated person whose world just got even quieter, because the interaction they used to get when accessing their services has now been replaced with an app.
Give some thought how behaviour has changed since Covid. People are less empathetic, more aggressive, much more self centred and are less likely to say hello in the street. Humans are social creatures, we haven’t evolved (or been designed, depending on what you believe) to conduct business with computer programs. Whether you like it or not it is having a negative effect on us.
So yes, I refuse all of this. I refuse to use any form of AI assistant, or chat bot. I don’t use mobile apps in favour of a website or an in person option. I won’t be using a digital ID if that comes about. I don’t use any form of social media, instead I make phone calls or meet with people in person. I don’t play any online games, and have never bought a “DLC” in my life. I get my photos printed out and keep them in a photo album. I buy my clothes in brick and mortar shops. My motorcycle doesn’t even have a rev counter, let alone Android Auto. I don’t have a Google account, and there are no Google services on my phone.
Now obviously I’m not doing all those things I mentioned above to help others that can’t use digital services, because some of them are completely irrelevant to that cause. No, I do them for a couple of reasons. One; I don’t like having things forced on me, especially when there’s no benefit to me. So in a way it’s a push back, or an act of rebellion. I choose to live my life without them because someone tried to convince me I needed it. Two; I’ve been in the tech space long enough to know that if something is free at the point of use, you’re the product. Some people are fine with it, but personally, just knowing that data is being collected on me and I’m being profiled while just going about my daily life creeps me out. I avoid generating personal data wherever I can.
Next time you’re asked to download an app, or scan a QR code, maybe just take a moment to think, do you really need this? Or is there an alternative? Just because something seems like the most convenient option doesn’t mean it’s the best, especially not in the long run. Give some thought to your fellow humans, who might be in the process of being replaced with an app, or an AI chatbot. Who knows, if we keep accepting it, it could be us next.
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