Day #3: Those left behind: a digitization problem

I live in a country, Sweden, which is becoming cashless day by day. When I first realised that I could use my credit card to pay pretty much everything, I was shocked. Really? Isn't there a minimum amount? Don't all shops complain about fees due to credit card payment? Apparently not. Not only paying with card is advisable, but also necessary in some places, where cash is no longer accepted. Of course, other digital payment methods such as bank apps are also widely accepted.

This cashless environment is a common feature in societies with a high degree of digitization. However, the reason why I am commenting this is because it is also a good example of how digitization processes may leave some population segments behind. 

From time to time, a new statistic pops up about which year Sweden will become a full cashless society. Some say 2023, although is it really possible that cash will disappear?. And every time there is a small part of the society which feels upset or at least a bit worried. For example old people who are not very familiar with digital services, people with some kind of disability who have it hard to control expenses and use money, families with small kids who don't want to give them the freedom of using a credit card... For most of us, paying with card or app is not a big deal, I actually prefer it. It's easy, safe and fast. But if I stop for a second and think, I can understand other people's concerns. Perhaps it isn't the best idea to make people like my grandmother feel so vulnerable or unprotected by just removing cash from their lives. We all agree, it is easy, safe and fast, but then we should invest in teaching them or making the transition somehow smoother. 

The solution to this problem is not easy, and that is why I think that it is a good example of the dark side of the digitization. How do we deal as a society with the people who are left behind?

As a funny final fact, this article from the news. It talks a bit more about Sweden going cashless and it introduces one coffee place in a neighbourhood in Stockholm which only accepts cash.