We wake up every day to the alarms we set, check our schedules on apps, download school materials through ASTRA, and ask AI to polish our sentences or answer our questions. We order lunch using kiosks and scan our own purchases at unstaffed convenience stores. We are living in an age of digital transformation. Digital technology has undoubtedly made our daily lives faster and more convenient. However, one question remains: Is digital transformation truly convenient for everyone?

Kiosks have reduced the need for staff at service counters, while unattended stores allow customers to shop around the clock. Online government services save time, and university platforms make academic materials more accessible. There is no doubt that these changes have made everyday life more efficient.

Yet convenience created for one person can become a barrier for another. For those familiar with technology, making an order with a few taps may feel simple. For someone unfamiliar with digital devices, however, what was once as easy as telling a staff member what they want can become a complicated process of navigating unfamiliar screens. The same technology can therefore be a convenience to one person and an obstacle to another.

Perhaps what we are overlooking in the process of digital transformation is the very meaning of “convenience.” We often measure technological progress by how quickly and easily we can complete a task. How many buttons do we have to press? How much waiting time will be reduced? How many things can we accomplish at once? These are reasonable measures of efficiency, but they do not tell the whole story. Convenience should not simply mean fewer steps. It should also mean that people can complete a task without feeling confused, excluded, or helpless.

I once saw a group of elderly people dressed nicely and carrying small bags at a KTX station. They were struggling to get tickets and anxiously waiting for cancellations. Watching them made me think about how much everyday life has changed. For someone who uses technology every day, navigating a digital system may seem insignificant. But for someone encountering it for the first time, every unfamiliar screen can become another opportunity to make a mistake. The pressure of people waiting behind them can make the experience even more stressful.

This does not mean that technological development itself is a problem. The real issue is the gap between the technology we create and the diverse abilities and circumstances of the people expected to use it. This is why we should not place the entire responsibility for adapting to digital transformation on individuals. Instead of asking people who are unfamiliar with technology to simply catch up, we should also ask ourselves whether the technology is designed to accommodate them in the first place.

This does not mean that digital transformation should be stopped. It is already deeply embedded in our daily lives, and technological development will only continue. What we need is not less technology, but more inclusive technology. One way to achieve this is by creating environments where people can receive help rather than being left to figure everything out alone. In many local communities, there are programs where young people help older adults with how to use smartphones, kiosks, and banking services, as well as how to recognize phone scams. These efforts may seem small compared with the rapid development of new technologies, but they remind us that digital transformation is a change that we are experiencing together. Besides this, businesses and institutions can design clearer interfaces and provide alternatives for those who need assistance.

The future we should create is not one in which people have to adapt themselves to technology. It is one in which technology adapts to the diverse needs of people. True convenience begins when no one is left behind.



 

Reporter

Hyeonseon Namgung

namgung0121@seoultech.ac.kr

Reporter 남궁현선

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• e-mail : namgung0121@seoultech.ac.kr