Should older adults be forced into digital services?
My grandfather is 78 and still refuses to use a smartphone, insisting that calling from his landline is enough, but last month he missed a doctor's appointment because the clinic only sends text reminders now. He's not lonely or isolated, he has coffee with friends every morning, yet services keep pushing him toward digital tools he finds baffling. Should we have the right to opt out of living in a fully online world if we can still manage basic tasks, or does that create a dangerous gap in access to healthcare and banking? I wonder if the burden should fall on organizations to support phone calls or paper forms, or whether we should expect older adults to adapt, even if it means teaching a 90-year-old to navigate a banking app.