8 things people do at self-checkouts that immediately reveal they grew up before technology - Silicon Canals

"Remember when self-checkouts first appeared? I was in college, and watching my dad navigate one was like watching someone try to defuse a bomb with oven mitts on. He'd hover his hand over the screen, unsure whether to tap or swipe, while the machine repeatedly announced "unexpected item in bagging area" like some kind of digital torture device. Fast forward to today, and self-checkouts have become the default for many of us. But spend five minutes observing the checkout area at your local grocery store, and you'll notice something fascinating: You can immediately spot who grew up before the digital revolution took over."

"1) They read every single instruction on the screen Watch someone who grew up with typewriters and rotary phones approach a self-checkout, and you'll notice they actually read the instructions. Every. Single. One. While younger shoppers tap through screens like they're scrolling Instagram, these folks pause at each prompt, carefully absorbing the information before proceeding. There's something almost endearing about it. They treat the machine's instructions with the same respect they'd give a human cashier explaining a new process. My father does this, and when I asked him about it once, he said, "Well, how else am I supposed to know what to do?" Fair point, dad. The thing is, they're probably doing it right. How many times have we younger folks blazed through screens only to realize we've selected the wrong option or missed an important step?"

Observations at grocery store self-checkouts reveal distinct generational behaviors. Many older users read each on-screen instruction slowly and deliberately, absorbing prompts before acting. These users often treat machine instructions with the same respect as guidance from a human cashier and report doing so to avoid mistakes. Younger shoppers frequently tap through screens quickly, treating the interface like social media and sometimes missing important steps or choosing wrong options. Careful, instruction-driven interactions tend to reduce errors such as mis-scanned items or incorrect selections, suggesting that deliberate pacing can improve self-checkout accuracy.

Read at Silicon Canals