September 1, 2023
How self-checkout kiosks may be making Americans lonelier
The New York Post reports that while more than 4 in 5 (84%) Americans report they like using self-service kiosks at stores, with 66% claiming they would choose a self-checkout lane over cashing out with a human cashier, Toni Antonucci said that “weak ties” — described as warm, low-stakes relationships, like the ones between cashiers and repeat customers — are a critical tool for maintaining emotional well-being, especially later in life as social circles shrink: “It’s somebody who makes you feel important in their world, somebody who makes you feel human.”