When is ignorance accepted?
When I was at the bank today I saw an older man arguing with the cashier. The old man was complaining about the long queue and the cashier was telling him that he could avoid the queue by doing his errand on the Internet. His argument was that he was too old and should not have to learn how to use the Internet. Somehow I got reminded of this old Calvin and Hobbes strip and it got me thinking. When should we accept ignorance regarding new technology?
Source: Motivatedphotos.com
For example, many people in Sweden do their taxes using pen and paper when it is possible for them to do their taxes online. But still, we allow them do it the old fashioned way just because that is “the way they always have done it”. I can think of many examples where companies or goverment agencies are forced by laws to allow for people to do things the old fashioned way instead of forcing people to change their ways and use new technology.
Should society accept that some people refuse to learn how to use new technology when that stops us from using tax payers’ money efficiently?
Or should we always allow ignorance around new technology?