How teaching my mother to use a delivery app revealed the true purpose of technology
The Call That Changed Everything
Last week, my mother called me with excitement in her voice:
“I ordered takeout all by myself today!”
To most people, this might sound unremarkable. But for me, it was one of the most meaningful moments of my year. Behind this minor victory lies a larger story — about the millions of people technology leaves behind, and why bridging that gap has become my life’s mission.
Growing Up Between Two Worlds
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I was born in a fifth-tier city in western China, a place carved by countless ravines across the Loess Plateau. Agriculture has sustained life there for millennia. Even today, the local economy depends on dwindling coal mines and sporadic tourism. The geography is unforgiving — not a single proper plain, roads that wind endlessly through mountains, and a “short” trip to the provincial capital still takes two and a half hours.
Growing up, I felt the weight of these limitations daily. But in high school, I read an article about cosmic microwave background radiation. Scientists in Antarctica had discovered that tiny irregularities in this ancient light might be imprints from parallel universes.
Sitting in that cramped classroom, surrounded by classmates trapped by endless exams, something shifted inside me. The universe was infinite, and I was infinitesimally small — yet that very realization made me feel larger. I knew then that I had to leave, to reach for something bigger.
My Father’s Surgery: When Geography Determines Destiny
Years later, my father developed avascular necrosis of the hip. In our hometown, this was practically a death sentence for mobility — most people who had surgery still limped for life.
I refused to accept this fate. After countless hours researching online, I found one of China’s top orthopedic specialists. Getting an appointment seemed impossible until I discovered a brief window when the doctor opened a private consultation channel. I uploaded my father’s X-rays, not expecting much.
He responded. He scheduled us for surgery.
My father hesitated: “Let it be. It’s too much trouble.”
My mother and I insisted. The surgery went perfectly. Today, my father walks normally — the only one in his circle of friends who truly recovered. It was the first time I viscerally understood: my abilities had literally changed my father’s destiny.
But it also haunted me. Why should recovery depend on having a tech-savvy child who could navigate digital systems? Why should healthcare — our most basic human need — be determined by the lottery of birthplace?
My Mother’s Digital Awakening
My mother’s struggles were different but equally revealing. For years, she suffered from frozen shoulder, swollen fingers, and leg atrophy. She always said she was “fine.” When we finally took her to a top specialist, he diagnosed and treated her issues in forty minutes. Days later, she called, voice bright with relief: “It really worked!”
But her deeper transformation came through confronting the digital world.
For years, my mother avoided modern conveniences. She couldn’t navigate the subway, book rides, or order food online. During one trip, after I handled all the logistics as usual, she complained about my efficiency. I lost my composure:
“You’re criticizing me? I do everything because you refuse to keep up with the times!”
She was stunned. But something changed.
She started trying. First, booking her own ride. The subway system took four teaching sessions, but eventually, she traveled alone to her destination and returned safely. I was thrilled.
The breakthrough came recently when I had eye surgery and couldn’t look at screens. My parents wanted to order food but couldn’t navigate the apps — the interface was hieroglyphics to them. I nearly broke down: “How have you already lost the ability to function in modern society at your age?”
But then she called again: “I did it! I ordered takeout myself!”
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Chinese delivery app vs. what she sees
In that moment, I realized this wasn’t just about food delivery. It was about reclaiming dignity and independence in a world that had been leaving her behind.
The Real Mission of Technology
These experiences crystallized something I’d been struggling to articulate:
Why do problems with existing solutions remain unsolved for millions?
Why does the same technology create such vastly different outcomes based on geography?
Why should birthplace determine access to humanity’s collective progress?
We accept urban-rural divides and generational gaps as inevitable. Cities concentrate resources, talent, and information while remote areas lag behind. But I believe technology’s true purpose is to bridge these divides, not deepen them.
As an engineer, I’m excited about AI breakthroughs and cutting-edge innovation. But I’ve learned that technology without humanity is hollow. We celebrate disruption and scale, but if we forget the real individuals struggling to keep up, we’ve lost technology’s fundamental purpose: making life better, preserving dignity, and helping everyone live more fully.
Building a More Inclusive Future
This is the defining challenge of our time:
How do we lower barriers so technology serves everyone, not just the privileged few?
How do we design with empathy so complexity doesn’t become exclusion?
How do we ensure progress means shared uplift, not just disruption?
For me, technology isn’t about speed or scale — it’s about dignity. It’s about ensuring people like my parents — not just those in global cities or fluent in code — can live healthier, more confident, more connected lives.
My ideal future as a technologist isn’t just a smarter world, but a warmer one. Not just scalable algorithms, but healing tools. Not just laboratory breakthroughs, but progress that ordinary families can feel in their daily lives.
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Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS), Internet Access — Households and Individuals, 2023
A Call to My Generation
To my fellow technologists and millennials racing forward in our careers: When did you last look back at your parents?
They might not voice their struggles. But our casual assistance — booking an appointment, teaching them an app — could transform their lives. A few minutes of our time could return years of dignity to theirs.
Society shouldn’t make accessing resources a privilege for the few. The point of civilization’s advance is shared prosperity.
When I see my parents, I don’t just see two individuals navigating personal challenges. I see millions of others — across cities, across generations — facing the same barriers.
And I see why our work matters.
Technology should not only disrupt industries. It should heal. It should empower. It should reconnect. It should remind us that progress isn’t real until it reaches everyone.
That insignificant victory — my mother ordering takeout by herself — wasn’t just about food delivery. It was about reclaiming her place in a rapidly changing world. And it reminded me why I do what I do.
This is the future I’m building: one where technology serves humanity, not the other way around.
About the Author
I’m Belinda, a researcher exploring AI frontiers and how technology can improve human lives. Recently, I’ve become deeply interested in human-AI co-evolution — the study of how humans and AI can develop together to enhance society and human potential. I’m keen to explore projects or collaborations in this emerging area.
Join the Conversation
Have you ever seen someone struggle because technology left them behind? How would you help them? I’d love to hear your stories and thoughts in the comments.
I’m always eager to learn from and collaborate with others working on meaningful projects that put technology to work for real human impact.
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