Gen Z Student: Smartphones have replaced cameras, alarms, menus... and real-life conversation
Jane Cowan: "Even though I am what they call a digital native, I found myself yearning for the good old days. The ones before restaurants had concepts and I needed to use my phone to order some pasta." Picture: Moya Nolan
I’ve been branded as someone who hates my elders at times. This was never my intention, but here we are. I’m the ‘ageist young one in the ’, or so I’ve been told.
But today I’d like to offer my defence. It was never about a disdain for anyone over the age of 40. It was more a general rejection of things going on around me: nightclubs being commandeered by men in suits or receiving overly punctuated text messages.
What I haven’t pointed out yet, is that I am easily irritated in general, as I’m sure any mildly astute reader could have figured out.
However, when I recently walked into one of these ‘new wave’ restaurants with a no physical menu ‘concept’, I was reminded of the fact that I relate to my elders on many levels.
The ones before restaurants had concepts and I needed to use my phone to order some pasta, despite a waiter walking around who seemed perfectly capable of handing out a few menus.
I’m probably being dramatic. But I understand totally what people mean when they say technology has a tendency to make things worse.
Especially things that seemed to be working well in the first place. I mean, was there ever an issue with a physical menu? Will we all need smartphones to go out to eat now?
The QR code menu also adds to the problem of people sitting together and scrolling on their phones in restaurants.
While you’re looking at the menu on your phone, you’ll probably have a quick gawk at Instagram to make sure nothing has changed.
Then half an hour has passed, your food arrives at your table, and you’ve basically gotten through the whole thing without needing to interact with an actual human.
It’s almost impressive how easy it is to get through life with such minimal human contact.
Following this very antisocial lunch, of course, comes the bill. No problem there. Until they tell you that they don’t accept cash in this establishment. It’s Apple Pay or the highway, basically.
In some ways, I enjoy going cashless. It gives me this false sense that I haven’t actually spent money. Because all I did was wave my phone close to a card reader.
But it can feel like an impossible task to spend cash when you eventually acquire it. It’s seldom I can buy a coffee with the change hanging around in the bottom of my bag.
Then you’re getting public transport home from your menu-free, conversation-free, cash-free dining experience, and you’re greeted with the sounds of TikTok scrolling the whole way home.
Times like these, I can’t help but think I was born in the wrong generation. Because I am on the side of the Boomers on this one.
The sound of a teen making their way through their TikTok For You page filling up the bus or the train allows me understand how Karens come to be.
There is plenty to be irritated by, if you look around. Particularly so, if you’re like me and left any sense of patience in the womb.
And like a Boomer, a lot of my frustrations relate to innovations of younger generations. I may not know much about life without TikTok on the bus and without ‘concept’ restaurants, but I’ve heard enough to think that it would suit me very nicely.
Saying that, pre-technology Ireland was also lacking in contraception, matcha bars, nail salons that offer BIAB, and viral Dubai chocolate bars. And by God, I do enjoy those modern comforts.
It’s hard to know, really. It seems like more of a general intolerance. Maybe I’m trying to win over the over-40s right now. I relate to them on plenty of topics.
Maybe not on home ownership or knowledge of tuning a radio. But on the merits of a restaurant as it should be? Now, that’s where we unite.
