I can offer a few reasons checks are common here in the US.
#1 My mom uses checks every day because she is afraid a debit card would be easily hacked/skimmed. The thing about cards in the US (not sure about the rest of the world) is that if you get your card stolen, one of two things will happen. if it is a credit card, the credit card company will hunt the crook down, usually no big deal as they are insured and have the resources and experience tracking crooks down. 2-If it was a bank debit card, upon report of a stolen card, the banks will simply turn off your card, issue you a new one, and leave the hunt for the bad guy up to you. There is very little you can do if someone steals your debit card info. And due to this, many banks (at least for the middle and lower class) will simply limit the debit card to $600 a day. Not always a problem, until you need a new oscilloscope and have toexplain to the bank why you want to spend more than $600 on your card for a day. PITA every time.
#2 Many businesses still pay people with checks, especially places like scrap yards that take advantage of the time it takes for the check to be cashed and clear to verify what you scrapped wasn't stolen. They have time to cancel the check. Pawn America puts their payments on disposable cards they can call and cancel, but those kinds of "cash cards" still have scary terms to them (like using it within 90 days or it expires, or ridiculous fees).
#3 Everyone charges a fee to accept cards out in the country. If I want to go to the nearest decent restaraunt in the woods and eat, there is a 3% fee to pay wth any card, debit or credit. Many places (and ATM machines) do that as well.
#4 Sometimes you need to pay someone who does not accept digital payments, like Jim down the road that welds stuff, and if you find yourself in that situation without cash on hand, you need a check. I live an hour from my bank.
#5 Go on wikipedia and take a look at data breaches. Every one of those massive data breaches involved the theft of personal and card data for the sole purpose of ripping peoples cards off.
#6 I am tired of pulling on the card machines at the gas station worrying about card scimmers.
#7 I just don't trust my entire way of life on a single piece of plastic that can get lost. How many times have you legitimately lost your wallet and had to grab some cash or a check? Happened to me twice.
Ill hold back my other reasons because there are people here just waiting for an opportunity to call me a conspiracy theorist.