We don’t think much about automation, but it’s all around us. One of the greatest examples of automation is the advent of automatic checkouts in pharmacies and supermarkets. Self-checkouts allow customers to check out themselves instead of being checked in by the cashier.
While an employee typically stands guard in the self-checkout area to protect against shoplifting and dishonesty, the proliferation of self-checkouts means stores don’t need to hire many workers, which reduces job opportunities.
However, some people resist automation by refusing to use self-checkouts and kiosks. A study conducted by Dalhousie University in Canada found that most buyers prefer to pay for their goods the old-fashioned way.
While two-thirds of survey respondents said they had ever used self-service payment machines, only 11% mentioned these machines as their preferred method of payment. Experts speculate there may be a myriad of reasons behind this heightened reaction to self-checkout kiosks.
Besides cutting jobs, many people prefer the face-to-face interaction that comes with the traditional method of paying for purchases. As automation continues to grow and expand, this debate will only intensify.
