"If You Don't Teach Me, I Can't Do It"... Shrinking Middle-Aged and Older Generation in the Non-Face-to-Face Era

Normalization of Contactless Era Due to COVID-19 Impact
Activation of Unmanned Machines Like Kiosks
"Ordering Is Difficult"...Middle-Aged and Older Adults Express Difficulty Using Kiosks

A consumer is purchasing a ticket using a kiosk located inside a movie theater at a complex shopping mall in Gyeonggi-do. Photo by Asia Economy DB

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] # Park, a man in his 50s, recently broke into a sweat when he went to a fast-food restaurant to buy a hamburger. He struggled because he didn’t know how to use the unmanned ordering machine (kiosk), and the young people waiting behind him gave him sharp looks. Park said, "It has become a time when even buying a hamburger is difficult. I wanted to ask an employee for help, but even saying that was not easy," adding, "At restaurants, they also ask you to verify QR codes, so I learned how to do it from my child. Technology will develop further, but I feel frustrated about how we are supposed to live."

As contactless culture has spread due to COVID-19, the inconvenience experienced by middle-aged and older people who cannot adapt to the digital environment is growing. Due to the COVID-19 aftermath that has lasted for over a year and a half since last year, QR codes have become mandatory in most stores nationwide, and recently, places that only accept orders through kiosks have increased, causing difficulties. Especially, middle-aged and elderly people who are not familiar with contactless services often give up using the services altogether. Experts suggest that appropriate education is necessary for the digitally vulnerable groups.

Kang, a woman in her 50s, said, "Kiosks are too difficult for me. Even when I go to fast-food restaurants, I can’t order, so I can’t buy food," adding, "My children are familiar with contactless ordering and do it well, but when I go alone, I get nervous and worried about the people behind me, so I can’t do it well." She continued, "Even if I learn how to use the kiosk, I forget it after a while," and added, "It feels like the world has become cold and harsh."

Stories of so-called 'kiosk order failures' are also shared mainly on online communities. One netizen tweeted, "My mom wanted to eat a hamburger and went to the burger shop near our house to order, but she couldn’t handle the kiosk well and wandered for 20 minutes before just going back home," adding, "(My mom) said on the phone that she was 'angry' and then cried, saying 'Mom, it’s over now.'"

He added, "It’s not a complaint about the employees. My mom said the employees looked too busy at the time, so she couldn’t ask for help," and added, "I agree that since kiosks were introduced, it’s fortunate to avoid dealing with strange customers, but I think the accessibility to kiosks is formed too narrowly."

Visitors are entering after filling out entry logs such as QR codes and Safe Call at the Lotte Department Store Main Branch in Jung-gu, Seoul. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The difficulties faced by the digitally marginalized who are not familiar with digital culture are also reflected in related statistics. According to a survey conducted last year by the Korea Consumer Agency targeting 300 consumers aged 65 and older who had experience with contactless transactions, 81.6% of respondents said they had experience using kiosks. In particular, they rated the difficulty of using kiosks at an average of 75.5 points, where 100 points means 'very easy' and 0 points means 'very difficult.'

Regarding inconveniences experienced while using kiosks (multiple responses allowed), 51.5% of respondents chose 'complex steps,' the highest percentage, followed by 'feeling pressured by people behind' and 'poor visibility of pictures and letters,' which accounted for 49% and 44.1%, respectively.

Among them, many also have difficulties due to the mandatory QR code system. Due to the COVID-19 aftermath, QR code verification has become essential in restaurants, department stores, and supermarkets. However, QR codes are unfamiliar to middle-aged and elderly people, and to obtain a QR code, personal information verification procedures must be completed, which are complicated and cause difficulties.

Given this situation, the younger generation also understands the difficulties their parents’ generation faces due to the contactless culture. Kim, a 28-year-old office worker, said, "When kiosks were first introduced, I also struggled a lot, so I can only imagine how hard it must be for the older generation," adding, "Also, kiosks are not the same format in every store. The payment order differs by store, so it must be even more difficult."

Experts emphasize the importance of education for the digitally marginalized and suggest that continuous social interest is necessary. Professor Lee Eunhee of Inha University’s Department of Consumer Studies said, "As society changes, the information gap between the younger and older generations will widen further," emphasizing, "Education targeting consumers to help them become familiar with kiosks and similar technologies is necessary."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.