"I Was First in Line, So Why..."... Elderly Struggle with 'Waiting App'

Waiting app for remote queueing without lining up in front of stores
Convenient but unfamiliar to the elderly... Another 'digital divide'

A woman in her 50s, Ms. A, recently visited a restaurant and encountered a scene she had never seen before. People in front of the store were all registering something on their mobile phones. Ms. A said, "I only just learned that if you enter your phone number into the kiosk, you either receive a message via KakaoTalk or have to download a related application (app) yourself."

Following kiosks... even 'waiting apps'

Recently, many stores have been installing kiosks to simplify ordering and reduce labor costs. However, following kiosks, more stores are installing waiting applications (apps). Waiting apps are popular with customers because they don’t have to wait in front of the store in cold weather like these days and can check the waiting status in real time. Stores can also prevent no-shows by collecting reservation deposits and manage customers smoothly.

If you search for the keyword 'waiting app' on portal sites, you can easily find related advertisements such as 'Integrated management including waiting cancellations and no-show management,' 'No more boring waiting times,' and 'Mobile kiosk in your hand.' Restaurant users also organize ways to easily use restaurants by using waiting apps on blogs and cafes, with titles like 'Jeju 00 Restaurant Waiting, App Reservation Essential!' and 'Waiting App Tips.'

However, middle-aged and older adults who do not know about or find it difficult to use 'waiting apps' are in a difficult position. With the spread of COVID-19 and the non-face-to-face trend, kiosks rapidly increased, and now they have to pay attention to waiting apps as well. Ms. A said, "Young people can quickly search for popular restaurants and make reservations, but without my daughters’ help, I would have kept waiting."

Previously, the digital divide caused by kiosks has been a recurring issue. According to data submitted by the Korea Intelligent Information Society Agency (NIA) to the National Assembly’s Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting Committee member Yoon Young-chan of the Democratic Party of Korea during last year’s audit, despite revising the 'Accessibility Guidelines for Unmanned Information Terminals,' the performance in improving kiosk accessibility was poor.

Difficult to use... "Are they saying middle-aged men shouldn’t come?"

Elderly people receiving training on how to use kiosks.

The digital divide made visible by kiosks is further expanding through waiting apps. This is because restaurant queue apps are rapidly growing due to the increase in dining out users in the endemic phase. The waiting app 'Tabling' surpassed 950,000 monthly active users last year, with over 3.8 million cumulative downloads and more than 3,000 affiliated stores.

As waiting apps become deeply embedded in dining culture, concerns are emerging that people unfamiliar with app usage now find it difficult to even visit a restaurant. This is because waiting apps act as a new barrier for elderly people and people with disabilities who are not proficient in using digital devices, including children.

A man in his 50s, Mr. B, said, "I didn’t know waiting was done via mobile phone," adding, "I was endlessly waiting in front of the store, but younger people who arrived late kept going in, so I had to ask the store directly."

The government is conducting related education targeting the elderly and revising device standardization to reduce the digital divide caused by kiosks. However, not only are problems regarding the digital divide still pointed out, but education and awareness improvement related to waiting apps have yet to be implemented.