Should businesses be required to keep human services for the elderly?
My grandmother turned 80 last year, and watching her struggle with new phone apps made me wonder: are we leaving the elderly behind in our race toward a digital-only society? She can't renew her driver's license online because the website requires two-factor authentication, and when she calls for help, she gets an automated system that hangs up on her. I get that automation is efficient, but we're creating a world where those without tech skills become second-class citizens. Should we force companies and governments to keep physical offices and human phone lines for the old, or is it their responsibility to adapt? I've tried teaching her, but the interface changes every month, and she just gets frustrated. Maybe the cost of being inclusive is too high for businesses, but my grandma has paid taxes all her life—doesn't she deserve a person to talk to?