I run my 2019 YuKon in manual shift mode quite often. Reaching forward to press a button while accelerating or on a bumpy road may cause me to select any gear - reverse maybe? A lever gives me a place to rest or brace my hand. IMOH not everything in a vehicle can or should be reduced to a button (brakes, accelerator steering wheel, turn signal - And shifter.
I drove a 2020 GMC Terrain as my most recent courtesy car which has a push button transmission. I tested it and it doesn't allow shifting gears while in motion, with the exception of neutral and manual mode. Also had an electric activated parking brake. And you could also activate that manually while in motion so it still acted like an emergency brake, too.
It was a little funny to get used to but after a few days it was pretty neat actually.
Also, if your foot is on the brake when you turn off the engine, it automatically engages park.
The push button gear shift does actually save quite a bit of real estate on the console to be honest. And don't forget, I don't really think that there is actually a mechanical connection between our column shifters and the transmission either. Maybe I'm wrong, or it only applies to park, or some combination thereof. It's not like the old days with a cable actuated valve body, is it? The same goes for the drive by wire throttle, although that's fairly old news.