I empathise with Mr Paul Chan Poh Hoi, who attaches great importance to in-person banking services for elderly customers (Push to move services online may alienate elderly customers less proficient with technology, Dec 7).

As technology becomes more prevalent in our daily lives, older adults like myself must learn to embrace it and stay relevant.

Often, I have observed non-tech-savvy elderly people spending a long time queueing up to be served in person, especially at banks and supermarkets.

This inconvenience can be avoided if they know how to perform transactions electronically in the comfort of their home.

In major supermarkets, there are self-checkout counters for customers to scan and pay for their purchases, making transactions convenient, faster and more accurate.

The Covid-19 pandemic has made me realise the importance of technology, which lets us stay connected to loved ones who are far away. With a smartphone, older adults can call, text or video call their loved ones and friends at a moment's notice.

As many elderly people are finding it difficult to get out and about, being tech-savvy is a necessity.

This is because tasks that require a lot of time outside, such as banking, making medical appointments and ordering food, can easily be done with a few taps on the smartphone.

This is possible only for those who know how to use technology.

In this digital age, most businesses will have fewer in-person services as self-service technologies are replacing face-to-face interactions.

Hence, it is imperative that older adults make every effort to learn and embrace technology to live independent lives, and not be left behind.

Jeffrey Law Lee Beng