When you think of money, you probably think of "cash" (现金). These are the paper notes and metal coins you use to buy things with. The first paper money was invented in China, and has been used for thousands of years. But in the near future, we may not use this type of money any more. Does this mean the end of money?
Actually, only small percentage (百分比) of money is cash. Over 90％of money today exists inside computers at banks. It is mostly digital, just numbers. We also use cash less and less. Since the credit card was invented in the 1950s, people have used their "plastic" to pay for things more and more. Using a card is quick and easy. You don't have to carry around heavy change and count it. We also do more and more shopping online, so we don't need cash for that.
In the near future, we probably won't use plastic cards either. All payments will be digital. We can already use our smartphones to pay. Soon, there will be shops we can walk in, take what we want and walk out, without waiting or counting money. Technology in the shop will know what we take.
Of course, money will always exist in some forms. People will always need a way to buy and sell things and store their wealth. But the days of cash are numbered. This will make things easier, but it is also a pity. Paper money and coins are nice to look at and they show us something about where we are. It is also true that using cash makes us spend less money, because we feel we are losing something when we spend it. However, when we make plastic or digital payments, we don't feel this, and so spend more.
Debt is something necessary, but it can be a big problem. Whatever money looks like in the future, we shouldn't spend money we don't have!
