Does Cashless Society Discriminate Against the Poor and Elderly?

The increasing prevalence of cashless payments, including mobile phone payments, digital payments and credit cards, in the world means that cash circulation is dropping worldwide. In major cities in China, over 90 percent of people use WeChat and Alipay as their primary payment method, ahead of cash. In the US, the use of cash is just 16% of total transactions and is expected to decline as cards growth accelerates.

【小题1】 Compared with the poor, the elderly, in fact, are comparatively less able to manage cashless payment methods. If local authorities or utility companies do not support cash, the elderly may face hurdles to pay for basic services.

In some countries, retailers may charge more for accepting cash or refuse cash payments altogether. 【小题2】 For those who do not qualify for credit cards, or cannot afford mobile payment methods, they are excluded from these retailers.

In addition to being locked out of retailers, low-income people who participate in cashless payments options face severe punishments for overdraft (透支) fees from their savings accounts and are actually more likely to be unqualified to receive credit cards who reward wealthy users for money spent. 【小题3】

Thus, there is a population who require cash and need to be addressed by retailers and companies. Governments can protect financial inclusion for people who are unable to participate digitally. In the US, The Cashless Retailers Prohibition Act of 2018 would make it illegal for restaurants and retailers not to accept cash or charge a different price to customers depending on the type of payment they use. 【小题4】 In Singapore, the government holds classes to help its senior population learn how to use digital payments such as paying in store using QR codes and topping up travel cards with debit cards.

As society moves towards cashless payments, to ensure that all groups in society are able to fully participate in the changing landscape, governments should introduce laws to protect cash acceptance and be mindful of impact on disadvantaged groups when encouraging fintech industry.

Do you love Beats headphones, True Religion jeans, and UGG shoes? These are some of the most popular brands (牌子) around. They are also expensive. But some experts say they are not much better than cheaper brands.

For example, Jim Wilcox works for Consumer Reports. He tested all kinds of headphones. He says that $80 Koss Pro headphones provide basically the same quality and comfort as Beats. So why do people pay twice or even 10 times as much for the hottest brands?

Experts say it’s because fashionable, expensive brands send a message. Brands say “I belong” or “I can afford it.”

Some people think that expensive brand names are worth the price. They say that some designer clothes really are top quality and that they last longer than cheaper brands. Some teenagers choose to wear popular brands because these brands make them feel good about themselves.

Alexandra Allam, 17, likes to buy brand-name products. “I’d rather spend the extra money to get something I know I’ll be satisfied with,” she says. Her friend Emmy Swan agrees, saying “As long as you can afford it, it seems reasonable to buy what you want.” But not all teenagers agree. “Spending hundreds of dollars for designer sunglasses is stupid and unreasonable,” says Daniel Steinbrecher, 16. “It’s fake (假的) happiness.”

People who are against wearing expensive brand names say that many designer brands aren’t any better. “It’s wasteful to buy things just because they are popular,” says Edmund Williams, 15. “You’ll feel better if you buy things because you like them. If you have extra money to spend, it would be better to give it to people in need.”

Overtourism Is For Real: How Can You Help?

Travel promotes understanding, expands our minds, makes us better people, and boosts local economies and communities, but the rapid growth of travel has led to overtourism in certain regions and destinations. 【小题1】 Certainly not. The loss of what travel offers would be unacceptable in today’s world. Here are some tips on making wise decisions to minimize pressure on the places we visit and improve our experience.

●Choose mindfully. Overvisited destinations are that way for a reason: they’re special. With so many online posts featuring the same places, it’s easy to feel like you’re missing out. Go somewhere only when the landscape, culture or food deeply draws you. 【小题2】

●Get creative. The best way to ease pressure on over-touristed destinations is to go somewhere else. Though overtourism is described as a problem affecting the entire world, it’s actually concentrated to a small number of extremely popular spots. That means you have tons of less-visited options to choose from. 【小题3】 Why not try a regional alternative or check out a popular destination’s lesser-known sights?

●【小题4】 Minimize impact and maximize experience by skipping major holidays or rush hour. You’ll compete with fewer tourists, save money, experience a different side of a popular place, and boost the economy when tourism is traditionally slower.

Visiting a place that others call home is a privilege (荣幸). Do your part to preserve what makes a destination special in the first place. 【小题5】 You may be amazed how much closer you’ll feel to the people there.