Opinion: Simplify your remote communications

My favorite cartoon on our refrigerator depicts a father spoon-feeding his baby in a high chair. Her father said, “After I introduce her to 3D, she will help me with computer stuff.”

In fact, many people, both young and old, find this joke a bit ironic. It is true that young people who grew up with computers are more comfortable using them. But whether we like it or not, computers, especially mobile phones and tablets, have become the primary means of remote communication these days. In fact, it is generally considered bad etiquette for young people to call rather than text.

As a society, our systems of remote communication have changed significantly over the years. The telephone that still hangs on the wall in our kitchen is there as a historical relic. When I was a child, I remember my parents going to a phone booth on a street corner to make a call.

In the past, long-distance calls were expensive depending on the distance of the call, so people traveling by air often took advantage of the opportunity to call family and friends who lived in cities where their planes stopped.

Pew Research recently estimated that 97% of Americans own a cell phone or similar device. This is a dramatic increase from his 35% determined in 2011, when Pugh first studied the subject.

Mobile phones are routinely used to apply for products and services. Cell phones are essential for people who rely on state and local public assistance for housing and food. By definition, these are people who are already experiencing stress and anxiety.

Most of us will find ourselves in this situation at least once. A recent public broadcasting series entitled “America’s Safety Net” noted that “the vast majority of Americans, nearly 60 percent, will experience poverty at some point in their lives.”

The PBS series also reported that about half of people eligible for state benefits do not actually receive them. Users create applications through mobile phones and other computing devices. One recipient explained: They want to know just a little bit. ”

Simplifying the process for people in crisis is humane and should be possible. People currently receiving state benefits must reapply every month. Extension of the reapplication period should also be considered.

However, it is most beneficial to redesign your application form to make it as simple and secure as possible. This requires consideration of the applicant’s perspective. As it stands, those who design applications seem to think that length and complexity are virtues. That’s wrong. A good application form should combine security with ease and clarity for the applicant.

Doing so could benefit the up to 60% of Americans who are expected to be at risk of hunger or homelessness at some point in their lives.

Janet McCabe She and her husband, David, came to Alaska in 1964. She is a graduate of Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and is a member of the Alaska Common She Ground and Commonwealth North.

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