Speaking at a recent Smart City panel at SMU’s first Presidential Distinguished Lecturer Series of 2021 in Singapore, SMU President Professor Lily Kong, citing research for her book on ‘hawker ‘ or open-air food centres in the country, said there are vendors who do not want to get on digital platforms as they do not want to lose their (physical) connection to their customers. “The question is about unintended consequences that come about because of the use of technology, and how can regulatory frameworks anticipate some of those unintended consequences better,” she said. Prof Kong also mentioned how she learned through colleagues who track the elderly population that those who were digitally connected, even at a basic level, exhibited higher levels of well-being compared to those who are not – reflecting the potential positive reality of digital inclusion.