There are young people today who don’t have a clue what a rotary telephone was all about. They’re even more in the proverbial dark about the former existence of party lines and what they entailed — and what had to be endured — when part of one.

Many young people probably can’t fathom a time when cellphones didn’t exist and how people accomplished anything without having one always at the ready.

With time comes change, and now a significant change is happening on the federal front. It was a change destined to happen sooner or later and that “sooner” is now.

Based on an executive order issued in March by President Donald Trump, the federal government has begun phasing out paper checks for most programs, including Social Security, Supplemental Security Income and tax refunds.

It isn’t a move that is going to throw the country into confusion and chaos. In the case of Social Security, for example, more than 99% of recipients already receive their benefits by direct deposit; only about 400,000 Social Security and SSI recipients still receive their benefits by way of paper checks mailed to them.

According to an Associated Press article published Oct. 1, that 400,000 figure amounts to less than 1% of the 70.6 million retirees, disabled people and children who currently receive Social Security benefits.

Instead of paper checks, the 400,000-plus recipients in question, as a result of the president’s order, will receive direct deposit or a Direct Express card, which is a method of payment for people without a bank account.

However, to the government’s credit, there will remain the proverbial financial paper-check lifeline for people who have no option besides paper checks for receiving their benefits. In those cases, paper checks will be issued, but there no doubt will be ongoing encouragement to remedy the situation by way of direct deposit or at least Direct Express cards.

But seldom is everyone in agreement, regardless of what the issue happens to be, and the direct-deposit issue is no exception.

According to the AP, advocates fear that the change will hurt marginalized Americans who lack access to digital services and might still be unaware that the change is coming.

The Trump administration argues that the shift of all payments and collection to electronic methods is designed to protect taxpayers from fraud and stolen checks, speed up processing and save money for the government.

Both sides’ arguments are valid, but it is reasonable to believe that someday not too far in the future the administration’s goal will be realized and, of course, it won’t be a bad thing.

Back when rotary telephones of various colors and designs were the “in” thing, most people probably did not imagine anything better — although they welcomed the end of party lines.

People who formerly thought paper checks never would be replaced are now experiencing the ease and convenience of electronic checks and electronic banking.

Meanwhile, people who considered party lines a nuisance and temporary annoyance shed no tears regarding their departure.

Someday, if not already happening, people will be wondering why paper checks did not years ago go the way of rotary telephones

Nostalgia has no place in this issue, just as virtually no one mourned the end of party lines, which — like paper Social Security and tax-refund checks already — overstayed their welcome.