El dinero en la era digital - Money in the digital age

Abstract

There are many things that have changed in our lives in the last 30 years, we communicate at a distance by video calls; we use internet search engines to find answers to any question in seconds; we have applications on our cell phones to carry out medical or social assistance procedures; we can listen to all the music we like; etc, changes that, without a doubt, have improved our lives significantly.

Among these "new habits" of life, the habitual use of digital wallets to pay for any purchase of goods or services and access to the bank account and our financial situation instantly, as many times as we feel like it, stands out. Until a few years ago, only a few years, as the older ones know, we had to go to the bank to look for money in banknotes and carry out banking operations. Now, all that information and the possibility of having that money is in our pocket all the time and available just with a couple of clicks.

No one can deny that this digital use of money makes payments and transfers much easier and that it is also a safer way to prevent cash theft. But, no one can deny that the speed with which we carry out payment or investment operations accelerates our anxiety. These tools give us the possibility of carrying out more procedures in less time, but they are part of the habits that make us live life at a speed that is harmful to our mental and spiritual health. Any older adult can testify to this acceleration of today's life, as it did not exist until a few decades ago. The bills disappeared from our pockets, but we pay the cost of this "advance" with anxiolytics or antidepressants.