[Report] "How do I use this?"... Middle-aged and elderly struggling with kiosks permeating daily life

From Fast Food Restaurants to Movie Theaters and Household Goods Stores... Kiosk Activation
"Feeling Anxious When People Are Lined Up Behind"… Middle-Aged and Elderly Express Difficulties Using Kiosks

A kiosk placed at a concession stand in a movie theater located in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul. Photo by Heo Midam damdam/

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] "We are not familiar with this machine. Employees have to help us to use it."

Since the spread of non-face-to-face culture after COVID-19, the number of 'unmanned stores' without employees is rapidly increasing. Just a year or two ago, kiosks (unmanned ordering terminals) were only used in certain industries such as fast food restaurants. However, now they are spreading so quickly that they can be easily seen even in neighborhood restaurants.

Kiosks, which allow ordering and payment based on touchscreens, not only help stores reduce labor costs but also increase work efficiency by reducing unnecessary friction with customers. However, middle-aged and elderly people who are still accustomed to face-to-face ordering methods complain that such systems are difficult. Experts emphasize the need for education for the digitally vulnerable groups.

On the 17th, Mr. A, a customer in his 70s shopping at a mart in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, hesitated in front of a kiosk and eventually called an employee nearby to ask for payment assistance.

Mr. A said, "I didn't know how to operate the machine, so I asked an employee for help," adding, "I come to the mart often, but the operation is difficult, so I usually don't use the machine and pay directly to the staff. We also have trouble seeing the letters written on the machine well."

Mr. Kim, in his 60s, whom we met at a household goods store, shared a similar concern. Mr. Kim said, "Until a few years ago, there weren't many kiosks, but recently, they have increased a lot," adding, "Each machine has different payment sequences or methods, so it's difficult. Some stores require you to insert the card first, while others require scanning the barcode first. Although you can just follow what the machine asks, if people are lined up behind you, you get nervous and end up calling an employee."

A customer in his 70s, Mr. A, shopping at a mart in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul, is making a payment with the help of an employee. Photo by Heo Midam damdam@

Meanwhile, as the trend toward unmanned services is expected to intensify, concerns among the middle-aged and elderly are growing. Global market research firm MarketsandMarkets projected that the kiosk market, which was valued at $2.5 billion (about 2.9622 trillion KRW) until 2016, will grow to $4.6 billion (about 5.4523 trillion KRW) by 2022.

Ms. Lee, a housewife in her 50s who purchased a movie ticket through an unmanned ticket machine, said, "After using kiosks a few times, I got used to it and it became easy. But many people I know still can't use them," adding, "When I go to a cafe with acquaintances, I usually order on their behalf or through an employee because I can use the kiosk."

The difficulties faced by the middle-aged and elderly 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 on 300 consumers aged 65 or older who had experience with non-face-to-face transactions, 81.6% of respondents said they had experience using kiosks. They cited inconvenient points (multiple responses allowed) such as ▲complex steps (51.5%) ▲feeling pressured by people behind them (49%) ▲poor visibility of pictures and letters (44.1%).

Earlier this year, a story on Twitter about a mother who returned home empty-handed from a fast food restaurant because she couldn't operate the kiosk was shared more than 10,000 times, becoming a hot topic. The poster said, "My mom wanted to eat a hamburger and tried to order, but she struggled with the kiosk for 20 minutes and went home," adding, "She cried saying, 'Mom, it's over now' while talking."

Given this situation, there are calls for alternatives such as changing unfamiliar terms like English and simplifying ordering steps for digitally marginalized groups. There are also opinions that stores should assign dedicated staff to assist with kiosk operations or install call bells for help.

Experts emphasized the importance of continuous social attention and education for digitally marginalized groups. Professor Eunhee Lee of Inha University's Department of Consumer Studies said, "As society changes, the information gap between younger and older generations will widen," adding, "It is necessary to provide education so that elderly consumers can become familiar with kiosk systems." She further stated, "It is important for the government or local governments to educate elderly consumers and make them aware of the need for such education."

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