The advent of new technologies in society has transformed public services, such as appointments with Social Security or at the Arrecife courthouse, almost at lightning speed. Many of these services are now only available online, which poses a significant barrier for many individuals—whether due to a lack of knowledge in new technologies or simply because no appointments are available.

Ongoing Struggles for a Couple in Lanzarote

This situation is affecting a couple in Lanzarote, who have been trying for three months to process their civil union at the Civil Registry in Arrecife. “Whenever it’s not one issue, it’s another. They don’t provide you with initial information on what documentation you must submit, and when you finally gather all the necessary papers, you have to book an appointment via a QR code. When you try to request this at the end of the month, it’s unavailable,” one of the affected individuals reported.

The individual explained that when they enter the app, “there are no appointments available on any day.” Consequently, they have been planning since May to request an appointment to get married, but “it’s impossible.” In this instance, as in many others, appointments can only be booked online, not in person. “We called over the phone, and they told us we must book via the mobile application. However, we have tried every morning for at least 25 days with no results,” they lamented.

Wider Complaints About Appointment Availability

Furthermore, the individual noted that there are numerous complaints of this nature on social media regarding the lack of available appointments in the Civil Registry of Arrecife.

This situation also affects citizens attempting to secure appointments with Social Security. In this regard, a woman shared with La Voz that it took her nearly a week to obtain an appointment because this process is conducted online and “only allows ten minutes for individuals to book.”

Additionally, she mentioned that someone was able to assist an elderly couple in scheduling their appointment, but when that person attempted to secure their own, the booking hours were closed. “I was told they only assist approximately six people per day. But what do they do during the rest of the hours? This is a problem that affects many people,” she expressed.

The Technology Gap Among the Elderly

In the case of individuals over 85 years old, for instance, only 12.4% use instant messaging, while around 10% use mobile phones or make calls over the internet or read news media,” according to a study conducted by the CSIC’s Aging Network team in December 2023.

These figures indicate that, although older individuals are gradually incorporating new technologies into their lives, the situation becomes more complicated when they need to manage appointments with services like Social Security. This barrier obstructs access in cases where the only way to utilise the service is online, and the option to schedule appointments through face-to-face interactions is not available.