My Gen Z-er children barely summon an eyeroll at my midlife failings. I’ve entered that twilight zone where I no longer fall over but have a fall. I forget which child I’ve recounted a story to and invariably end up repeating myself. I’m constantly looking for sunglasses perched on my head.

But it’s the technophobia these digital natives have no time for. When my youngest asks me to read her university assignments I repeatedly paw the screen to scroll down.

Will smart trolleys be the future of shopping?Credit: Wayne Taylor

“It’s not a touchscreen,” she says in exasperation.

I was among the last of my friends to start texting. I still find the back and forth tedious when you can just phone someone. I can’t even fathom sexting. I’ve just mastered the Smart TV, I ignore the touch screen on the car and I haven’t used the new washing machine because my husband says I am too impatient to read the operating manual.

So, when a young woman at my local Coles asked if I wanted to trial a new so-called smart trolley at Richmond Traders, the first Coles in Australia to give them a run, I decided to be an early adopter for once. Like self-checkouts, I expect some version of these Instacarts will be commonplace. I prefer not to use self-checkouts but often have little choice as there is a........

© The Sydney Morning Herald