Paragraph six illustrates how Betty, an elderly woman without a cell phone, is excluded from society's technological advancements and the challenges she faces as a result.
In paragraph six of “Don’t Touch That Dial!” the focus is on Betty, an 81-year-old woman who found herself at odds with the increasingly technological demands of society. The text discusses Betty's distress when she's unable to enter a facility for her scheduled haircut because she didn't have a cell phone to call and be let in.
The sign on the door had provided a phone number, but that didn't help Betty. The pandemic has made her day-to-day life challenging and despite being well-prepared with a mask and hand sanitizer, being locked out made her realize the extent of America's dependency on cell phones.
The larger issue at hand is how the elderly, like Betty, often get left behind in a society that's rapidly advancing in technology, either because they cannot afford modern gadgets or lack the necessary skills and support to use them.