But behind this apparent technological utopia lies an increasingly obvious problem. People who do not have access to technology, or who are unable to adapt to a cashless life, find themselves on the margins. The elderly, in particular, are those who suffer the most, with difficulty accessing digital services and managing payments via apps. And it is not just the elderly: a part of the Swedish population, including the homeless, migrants and people with disabilities, is now excluded from full participation in the country's economic life.
has now become a “reserve currency,” relegated to those who cannot afford a bank account or access to a smartphone. “Cash bubbles” have been created: those who cannot use digital industry email list payments remain confined to a small market, made up of daily needs that cannot be satisfied in a modern way. It is the invisible part of Sweden, the one that lives far from the spotlight, to which new technologies have never provided answers.
In a world that is racing towards total integration with digital technologies, more and more people feel abandoned. Volunteers who help the disadvantaged in local communities say they spend much of their time assisting those who do not have access to technology to pay bills, do banking or even just pay for parking. Without cash and without digital tools, these people live in a sort of “digital ghetto”, where loneliness becomes more burdensome due to the daily difficulties.
This exclusion is accompanied by a sense of stigma: those who depend on cash are seen as someone who cannot keep up with the times.