Shropshire Star comment: Don’t lose touch with tradition
It’s never been easier to spend a penny.
Our new cashless society has introduced different ways in which we can transact when we procure goods and services.
Gone are the days of exchanging pound coins, 50p pieces and loose change.
Instead, we now tap our credit cards when we make a purchase.
Card tap technology is prevalent to such an extent that we can now use it when we visit a public toilet while churches also use it while organising their collection.
In a busy, fast-paced world, card tap technology makes it easier and quicker to buy while we’re on the move.
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And yet there are those who will lament the long, slow death of cash and bemoan the absence of accountability that card tap has.
When we are faced with spending all of our loose change on a bus ride, a pint of milk or trip to the greengrocer or baker, we have a greater sense of what an item is worth.
Tapping a card is more convenient but also may be too easy.
Fast forward 10 years and cash transactions are likely to be dwarfed by those on card. There is even talk of the end of pennies and two pence pieces. Who knows, we may ultimately find ourselves in a society where there is no loose change and where one day cash is eradicated completely.
That’s what they call progress.
Shiny
It’s not just the field of commerce that has changed, of course, we now seldom communicate by letter or fax when we can email, Whatsapp, SMS or use video messaging and social media. And while some might rejoice at the shiny new world in which we live, it’s inevitable that some will be left behind – particularly the generation that has more miles on the clock.
There is a lot to be said for preserving some of society’s norms.
Let us be honest, it’s far more pleasing to listen to music on vinyl, to receive a written letter rather than a text, to open the pages of a newspaper or book than look at data on a tablet.
So while there is nothing wrong with embracing progress, we must not lose sight of the need to accommodate those who like to use cash or who may not have a contactless card.
Progress is all well and good but we have a duty to those who stick to tradition.
