As I get older, I find that there are some technological advances in managing the tasks of daily living that I haven’t fully embraced.
I still write paper checks, reconcile my bank account statements, and carry cash. Many people I know tell me they don’t carry cash or write checks anymore, and they never reconcile their bank accounts. Apps like the digital payment services Venmo and Zelle, and automatic deductions from checking accounts for regular monthly bills and credit card bills, have become the preferred way to pay for things. But even though I now use these for some of my payment needs, they feel impersonal, so sometimes I still use checks. I also use checks to give gifts to people, especially since I learned that many gift cards go unused.
I find that reconciling my bank accounts gives me a sense of control over my funds and satisfaction when there is somewhat close agreement between my check book and my bank statement. It is also helpful when I find that an error has been made— usually mine—and after I resolve it I feel more certain about my bank balance.
Bill Gates said that “the advance of technology is based on making it fit in so that you don’t really even notice it, so it’s part of everyday life.” I guess I am still noticing it, and it will become easier once I fully integrate it into my life. But I recently heard that Apple Pay is the newest mobile payment service, you don’t even need to carry credit cards, just use your phone to pay for things. I think Gates is probably correct, but I don’t get it—how can you not notice something that keeps changing?
I like having cash in my wallet, at least $100. This may be a vestige of my having been near the World Trade Center on 9/11. I worked in Tower 2 and was on my way to work when the buildings were hit. Although I was able to walk about two miles to my aunt’s house, I later realized that if I had to go further away, with public transportation stopped, I would need cash to pay someone to take me. I don’t think writing a check or trying to pay with a Zelle account would work as readily. So I feel more secure when I have cash in my wallet. Also, when I want to tip someone for service, like a maid in a hotel or a server in a restaurant, I prefer leaving cash as I know that is what they generally prefer.
In addition to not fully integrating the newest tools to manage financial matters, I have not fully adopted other advances in technology. I have an iPhone, and am comfortable with WhatsApp, setting up Zoom calls, and other features. But I still have a landline, which I use for faxing, and sometime making calls from home. I find faxing easier than scanning. I know that few people now have landlines and even fewer fax documents any more. But at times I still have a need to fax a document, and so I don’t plan on giving up my landline. Also, a landline is essential when I have misplaced my iPhone at home: I simply call myself using the landline, and I can easily locate my phone.
By the way, having the capacity for phone calls that allow me and the person I am talking with to see each other is great, and I do this quite often. But please, let’s only do this if we have arranged to see each other on the call. Otherwise, I may not feel ready to be seen, especially if it is in the morning.
I like using QR codes when I am in a museum, to get information about the artwork I am looking at. But I don’t like to use a QR code at a restaurant to see what is on the menu. I realize this method may be more hygienic than using a menu that has been touched by many hands, and makes it easier to update a restaurant’s offerings and costs, but give me a hard copy menu please. I like holding it in my hands and turning the pages, and if I can’t decide what I want, it is easier to go back and forth between the pages.
So why is it hard to let go of some of the ways I have always done things? Familiarity and comfort are certainly part of it. Also, most of these replaced methods still work, although perhaps not most efficiently. But underneath that, I think the sense of mastery that I once had about managing my life’s chores may be declining in some arenas. Dealing with changing technology is one area where using the methods I am most familiar with helps me feel that I still maintain some control.
I know that all these changes in technology represent progress and I will continue to learn to use new tools. They can improve my ability to manage parts of life. But I will hold on to some of the “old ways” that work for me, some are already part of my everyday life and have served me well.
Reflections on Aging 