Nobody likes dealing with the supermarket self-checkout – it’s impersonal, frustrating, and you often have to wait for someone to come along and fix it when it gets stuck on something.
Well, the self-checkouts aren’t the only pain point many older Australians are facing when it comes to the marvels of modern technology. According to a survey from National Seniors, the proportion of seniors feeling frustrated with digital services rose from 32 per cent to 46 per cent between 2018 and 2021, while those feeling digital technologies are designed for younger people rose from 37 per cent to 45 per cent.
“Younger people are braver in using [devices and apps], and I suspect they learn from each other. My acquaintances do not discuss [theirs]; therefore I (like many others?) am largely going it alone digitally, with mixed success,” said one respondent.
According to National Seniors’ Chief Executive and Director of Research, Professor John McCallum (pictured), this includes ATMs and, yes, self-checkouts – though the concern is not all with ease of use, as more than 100 comments expressed worry that the machines were putting people out of jobs.
“Socially, the digital revolution has shifted people’s orientation from face to face and local to virtual and global.
“Is it any wonder that many older Australians, who prefer a local identity and community engagement, express a lack of comfort with this radical change?” he said.
COVID-19 spurs seniors to make the shift
It’s not all bad news – the proportion saying digital services made their lives easier grew from 71 per cent in 2018 to 87 per cent in 2021, with Netflix and Zoom cited as enjoyable and useful services. Seniors are now web-surfing, texting, streaming TV, banking online, and video calling far more often than before COVID, with many needing to buy smartphones and learn to use them during the pandemic.
However, 95 per cent also agreed that generations use digital technologies differently, up from 76 per cent in 2018 – and there was widespread belief that these gadgets should be better designed for older people.
“Much digital engagement during the COVID era has been forced, with non-digital choices contracting over time and little support to make the transition,” said Professor McCallum.
“The views seniors expressed in the 2021 survey clearly highlight the important fact that using technology does not imply comfort with it.”
So if you’re feeling left behind by the march of modern technology, you’re not the only one – but take heart in the knowledge that at least we younger people hate those pesky self-checkouts as well…
