It rained that day and it was still cold outside in Yichang, Hubei. The eighty-year-old lady, wearing a cotton jacket and cotton gloves on her hands, paid medical insurance in the cold weather. If it's not for family problems, if it's not for an elderly person who was in a hurry to get medical insurance, why would she be so anxious?

However, her payment was refused, and the staff said grudgingly,"Cash is not accepted here." The old woman cried out, but the staff only shouted with a grimace: "No cash. Either call your relatives to help or pay by your mobile phone.” The old woman said nothing, her head lowered, hunched over, and pinched her gloves blankly as if she had done something wrong.

In today's society, people can find that with the using of smart services in many places, the elderly can no longer spend their cash. In the cashless era, 250 million elderly people are facing a huge intelligence gap between themselves and technology.

Although the relevant laws of China stipulate that RMB is legal tender, except for cases where non-cash payment instruments must be used based on national laws and administrative regulations, no units or individuals should require “no cash” or “cash only” in business premises, using it as a slogan, or setting discriminatory conditions for consumers who use cash. However, there are always some businesses that nakedly print the three words "Refusal of Cash" in Chinese in the most conspicuous position. Behind the refusal, the elderly who do not know how to pay online will not be able to enjoy basic social services, but also cannot buy anything.

There are always some people who say that cashless is convenient and smart payment will encourage the elderly to learn online payment. Whereas this is a curious comments: whether these people have ever thought about how difficult it is for the elderly to seek help from the young to earn to use a smartphone and learn to surf the Internet?

What’s more, many elderly people are illiterate. For example, according to a recent survey, the penetration rate of smartphones in China in 2020 is about 67.0%, and the proportion of mobile phone users that over 50 years old accounts for 22.8%. This means that there is still a large number of people who do not know how to use he Internet, and the elderly is the main body of this group. They don’t have mobile phones, let alone online payment. Some netizens said that since the restaurant started food ordering via QR code, grandpas never dared to go out by themselves.

These elderly people who are ignored by society also have the right to survive, and they need an understanding of the world. China has a history of 5000-year civilization, whether it is the "benevolence and justice" of Confucianism, the "supreme goodness of water" of Taoism, or the "universal love and non-attack" of Mohism, there has never been a saying that “weed out the weak”, but only the tradition of the respecting the old and protecting the old. The elderly worked hard for most of their lives, yet are left behind by the latest technology. They are at a loss and confusion. They can no longer understand this society.

The fundamental purpose of the continuous technology innovation is to better foster people's lives and create more convenience. But as technology advances, dwellers should also think about the present. If this so-called convenience makes some groups feel uncomfortable, the country should think about how to introduce relevant policies to maximize this convenience? What methods should technology companies think of to better optimize their products? Science and technology serve all mankind, rather than make the new and the old generations do multiple-choice questions.

In the era of the 21 first century, no one should be regarded as a burden, or become abandoned. A civilized society must be compassionate and caring. So please be more humanistic. Please slow down to wait for the elderly who are left behind.

NO CASH? NO RUSH!