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Comment by bruceb | Hacker News Reader

Good for some who know how to navigate self help setups. Opens up lower cost options. For example cheap cell phone plans exist because of mostly self service, order sim online and setup online with no physical store and only mediocre phone support. Same with low cost airlines.

Bad for those who have trouble navigating things online, often the elderly.

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Self-service is a scam, but it takes reaching certain age to notice it. It's basically the business outsourcing its costs to you. It's tolerable when you're young and have no money, but tons of free time. It's really frustrating when you're a little bit older - when you have some disposable income but are severely time-constrained.

That is another infuriating part of phone menus though. I am a busy person so I only resort to calling after exhausting online options. Then I have to listen to a bunch of menus and reminders about how I can do standard stuff like check my balance online. And I have to kind of “hack” my way to a real person who has the power to actually do something.

Or the young. I spend so much time helping my teenagers and early 20 somethings with online tasks. They know how to use a few select websites/apps, but outside of that they are pretty much clueless about computers (despite my efforts to educate them).

Why learn when they have someone to do it for them.

Because you are encouraging them to be helpless. Notice how fast they learn when you don’t just do it for them.

Let them struggle with it?

Go exercise. Maybe not right this second. But tomorrow when you wake up. You'll feel better. Promise.

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