A Old Guy Takes Gratuitous Shots at the Young

Of course, the spectre of central bank digital currency and digital control is a more serious issue.

Have you ever noticed how younger people in North America are perplexed by coins and bills? They can't count change. They don't recognize denominations. It's kind of like me when I go to Mexico. I can't figure out what the currency is. Well, young people here don't seem to be familiar with their own currency. They don't know how to count out change. That was an essential skill when I was growing up. It seems to have disappeared with the advent of electronic money. Will it ever reappear?

The decline in handling physical currency—especially change—is indeed tied to the shift toward digital payment methods. Younger generations have adapted to apps, cards, and digital transfers for transactions, bypassing the need to physically count out cash. In many ways, this has mirrored shifts in literacy or mechanical skills as technology has evolved, where the essential skills for one generation become obsolete for the next.

Will this skill ever reappear? Short of a severe disruption, such as the economic collapse or technological failure, it’s unlikely. Digital payments offer convenience, and as systems get more seamless, people may only grow more distanced from physical currency. Even if physical money remains in circulation, its use may be so minimal that younger generations simply won’t need to master handling it.