Kiosks are usually a convenient machine for people to order and pay efficiently, but this is not true for all people.

Senior citizens all around the world are having a hard time adapting to the fast-developing technology. 

Currently, many countries, including Korea, are experiencing growth in both the size of their populations and the proportion of older persons therein.

 Along with the increase of the average age of human populations, society’s usage and reliance on technology is also rapidly increasing, and elders are having a difficult time adjusting to the change. 

 According to the World Health Organization, by 2030, 1 in every 6 people across the world will be 60 years old or over. 

By that time, the number of humans aged 60 years and over will have increased from 1 billion in 2020 to 1.4 billion.

 The proportion of elderly people in society is increasing day by day, but many cultures are becoming more and more digitized.

 Unlike the past when customers talked to waiters to order food, now, people order food through interactive kiosks. 

In the same vein, people deposit money at banks by using ATM devices, book train tickets with smartphone apps, and pay for a multitude of goods with their phones.

 The rapid development of technology and the worldwide spread of COVID-19 greatly accelerated the transition to non-face-to-face and unmanned systems.

 According to the Korean Joongang Daily, the number of kiosks operating in the private sector in Korea tripled from 8,587 in 2019 to 26,574 in 2021.

Employers say that the upwards trend of kiosk use was fueled by the pandemic and that the trend is continuing in the same direction.

 For young people who are accustomed to using new technology, kiosk-like systems are not challenging to use, but they can be a huge obstacle for the elderly who have been ordering food from a waiter, depositing money through a banker, and hailing taxis in the street for their entire lives.

 "People like us are not good at using kiosks," said a 50-year-old housewife after trying to use a kiosk at a burger shop in the Mapo District. 

"I assume it would be easy once you get used to it, but there is a lot of trial and error along the way."

 The difficulty of ordering food and reserving trains, taxis, and buses have become  a daily problem for elders. 

Moreover, the barrier that digital systems present to elders can lead to great tragedies in which people lose their lives because they are unable to receive disaster information regarding things such as heat waves, heavy rain, and infectious diseases.

 To prevent these problems, “Digital Literacy Education” for elders is essential.

Digital Literacy Education is a program that teaches people the skills they need in order to live, learn, and work in a society where communication and access to information are primarily routed through digital technologies like internet platforms, social media, and mobile devices. 

 Since April, the Seoul City Government has deployed 100 guides to areas where senior citizens often gather to help them use kiosks. 

Through the support group project, 100 senior citizens and 50 young people who are familiar with digital devices are providing one-on-one education for elderly people who are not familiar with digital devices. 

 Kang Eui-sik, chairman of the Seoul Digital Foundation, said, "In a digital society, all citizens should be able to enjoy digital opportunities and benefits," adding that, "Based on the results of the survey, we plan to expand the digital inclusion business more closely."

Jun-ki Kim
Grade 10
The Peddie School