I'm not the first to argue that technology has put the social skills of American consumers on life support.

Take a look around, and you'll notice people spending their days hiding behind their mobile devices, using them to order toiletries and groceries, communicate with their friends and coworkers, line up a date for the weekend and book a hair appointment. All without speaking a word. Some of these individuals are not even visible to the public eye – thanks to the rise of e-commerce, any product or service can be delivered to one's door. Why even leave the house?

When it comes to banking, cowering behind a mobile device is an acceptable option as well. Mobile banking apps, remote deposit capture, chatbots, text alerts and other forms of self-service functionality have lessened the need for human contact. And that means credit union branches are destined to suffer the same sad fate as old Blockbuster and Sears stores, right?

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Natasha Chilingerian

Natasha Chilingerian has been immersed in the credit union industry for over a decade. She first joined CU Times in 2011 as a freelance writer, and following a two-year hiatus from 2013-2015, during which time she served as a communications specialist for Xceed Financial Credit Union (now Kinecta Federal Credit Union), she re-joined the CU Times team full-time as managing editor. She was promoted to executive editor in 2019. In the earlier days of her career, Chilingerian focused on news and lifestyle journalism, serving as a writer and editor for numerous regional publications in Oregon, Louisiana, South Carolina and the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition, she holds experience in marketing copywriting for companies in the finance and technology space. At CU Times, she covers People and Community news, cybersecurity, fintech partnerships, marketing, workplace culture, leadership, DEI, branch strategies, digital banking and more. She currently works remotely and splits her time between Southern California and Portland, Ore.