Being digital is the norm of life today. It is efficient and fast. There are many steps on the digital ladder of using the services. The step is related to the ability of a user in terms of digital savviness. The younger, the better with their eagerness to jump on anything new. This is how a divide is created between the young and the not-so-young.
Software developers in their eager pursuit to promote new products or additions to an existing product often intrude the personal spaces of users. There are constant prods from them to add newer features such as One Drive in Microsoft Word, initially given free such as testers in supermarkets. The new features are no doubt useful that the young enthusiasts would jump on. But there are not-so-young's who would prefer not to be bothered time and again.
One can choose to exclude such options but it requires efforts that can be messy among the clutters. Help of various sorts can be had through the developers themselves besides the likes of YouTube. But that requires multiple searches and can be annoying to older people, living alone and impaired by poor eyesight. Even the simple chores such as enlarging the mouse size in order to facilitate edits in a mail in the Word can be a struggle. How wonderful it would be if some help could be had, if necessary, with payments? Option to speak to a person or visit a place where such problems can be discussed without embarrassment would be wonderful. This would be akin to the helplines that one uses for services in places such as banks. The service can also be given through an outlet of an existing business.
There can be risks attached to some activities that relate to financial transaction with the use of credit cards. Done properly, it is wonderful, else it is a nightmare. This is the sticky bit of Helps, but can be worked out. Add to this stickiness is the use of cell phone as an alternate to credit cards in some transactions. As there are many who are not able, this creates a hurtful divide. Can be embarrassing when there is a queue behind such as in a bus or a kiosk.
In restaurants customers are asked questions such as being allergic or diabetic before a food is selected. In hospitals treatments are varied as per age group. In a similar way, why not include such options in marketing software? This is not to disregard the change requirement in a business. This is how the society advances. But to force a change, sort of, on a customer is not right. This is because the desire or ability of a customer varies by generations, from the baby boomers to millennials to Gen Z. It is amazing how they differ as I relate them to my own life. On a bright sunny day as I walk in the city centre moving from one shop to another, I am not comfortable with my goggles. Sometimes I have to take out the glasses to see properly as I alternate between sunlight and shade. This is not so with my daughter. Going a bit further, consider the Apple Glass that can impose the road ahead on the Google map as one drives. A service such as easy help, albeit with payment, will take out many such annoyances for the not-so-young.
These are divides between generations. There are other divides such as geographic and economic. Each divide is further divided such as people with fitness in terms of ability. Fitness can be of two types, namely, physical and mental. Two main factors that have contributed to the sharpening of these divides are longevity of life and digital expertise. The digital technology that began with the rise of huge machines on shop floors of factories has now entered personal lives through means such as cell phones and iPads. Many young today cannot breathe without the cell phone in their palms.
The digital technology has huge impact on a person's life, how one is able to use the devices to attend to various needs of life. But this connectivity can be agony for the not-so-young as opposed to fun for the young. My grandson helps me in many of my daily chores that require a smart phone in the least. Speed is a function of mental reflexes that slows down with aging. That is how much of the hacking takes place today with the not-so-young being more gullible. The enticements come in various forms from free travel to free stay in hotel to gifts of various kinds. These offers are cleverly wrapped within general services in order to create trust. The regulators are expected to provide security against the evil doers. This is a race where the devil seems to be one step ahead, so far.
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