Majority of Late-Twentysomethings Use Cell Phones Only
Majority of Late-Twentysomethings Use Cell Phones Only
Posted 12/22/2010 at 3:14pm
| by Ryan Whitwam
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Cnet is reporting that the latest survey of 17,619 households by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has resulted in some surprising results regarding phone usage. For the first time, the majority of adults in their late 20s are more likely to use only a mobile phone at home. In all, 51% of those age 25-29 did not have a landline at home. Landlines just aren't hip anymore, apparently.
The numbers are also on the rice for those in other age groups. 40% of people in the 18-24 age bracket have left landlines behind. As you might expect, the rate of cell phone only homes drops significantly as age goes up. After age 65, only 5% of people said they lived in mobile only homes. The overall rate of households that used only cell phones was 26%, and another 16% said they talk all or most of their calls on their mobile phone.
We can only see this trend continuing. As mobile networks get faster and more expansive, more consumers will decide to stop paying for the same service twice. Have you switched to having mobile phones only? If you don't mind us asking, what age group are you in?
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Troy Wilkins
December 23, 2010 at 2:53pm
Mmmmm rice! Now I'm hungry, hahaha
Ok, seriously, I have both. The land line is used for long-distance calls (cheaper then calling with the mobile), but for most other calls, the mobile is more handy and seeing as I'm on pre-paid, it makes it easier to control how much I spend.
Everyone knows if they want to contact me to call my mobile, that way it doesn't matter if I'm at home or not, they'll be able to catch me. The only people that call the land line are telemarketers, and wrong numbers, hahaha.
Damdh67@gmail.com
December 23, 2010 at 1:58pm
And if there is a catastrophe or an EMP requiring my need of a landline then I/we have more to worry about .
Damdh67@gmail.com
December 23, 2010 at 1:52pm
43 and haven't had a landline since 1996. I have total control of incoming calls, no phone spam, no redundant useless bills.
whitneymr
December 23, 2010 at 12:53pm
On a landline because I'm in the mountains of Colorado and I have a large chuck of granite between me and the tower. If I walk 50' feet up hill I have service but that's not real convenient.
Deviate
December 23, 2010 at 10:53am
.. I wish I still had a landline is the occasional need to fax something.
Svenleven
December 23, 2010 at 10:11am
I'm 26, and when i bought my own place 3 years ago, I never even had them install phone lines. I don't need it.
trayszee
December 23, 2010 at 6:28am
52 and I have both...it's more a question of location I think. Rural reception (which is my situation) still isn't anywhere near 100% (more like 85 - 95%). If the quality of the reception improves in rural areas you'll see the percentage of landlines drop.
therestorestore
December 23, 2010 at 6:17am
I'm 36 now and have had no landline since 2003.
Landline POTS is way overpriced. And so is cable internet which you maybe sorta got to have if you have no landline, but that's a different topic.
caliman64
December 23, 2010 at 5:47am
I'm 28, and I haven't had a landline for 6 years. Why pay two phone bills? I always have my cell phone with me and leave it on all the time. It's much easier for people to contact me on a cell phone than it would be on a landline. My internet is provided with the apartment complex I live in and in previous places I've lived, I had either wireless or cable modem type internet. I think it's stupid to have a landline and a cell phone when the only reason you need a landline is to make phone calls. I like to pay as few bills as I can.
Up Early
December 23, 2010 at 3:10am
Cell phone only for six years now. Basically because it was bad enough AT&T wouldn't stop sending me junk mail, but they were relentless with their telemarketing. They said the "Do Not Call List" did not apply to them because I was their customer and they could call me anytime they wanted. Well, now they can't call me at all. Don't miss that land line one bit! ISP through cable. Age 60.
Weedkillers
December 23, 2010 at 1:05am
I have a landline only because I need one for broadband currently
I have a landline only because I need one for broadband currently
I must use it about 50 times a year (mainly to ring my mobile to find it ;-)
I have a landline only because I need one for broadband currently
I must use it about 50 times a year (mainly to ring my mobile to find it ;-)
All other calls goes through mobile
Im 31
Dustn525
December 22, 2010 at 10:41pm
Is this a suprise? I haven't even thought of a landline since 2003.
Cabal468
December 22, 2010 at 9:53pm
I dropped the landline and went cell only when I was 38 and I'm 43 now...
Neufeldt2002
December 22, 2010 at 8:22pm
38 and still have a landline. Cell phones are just way too expensive where I live to ditch the landline. I would be paying more than $100 a month on cell phone bills, while the landline comes in at $30.
TommM
December 22, 2010 at 8:47pm
...I have a pay-as-you-go cellphone and it runs me less than $10 A MONTH. I literally pay less than $100 a year for my cellphone. And of course, no landline.
All I can say is your family must be cellphone junkies using their phones for a helluva lot more reasons than actually necessary.
Neufeldt2002
December 23, 2010 at 8:16am
That's what it would cost me a month just for phone service. If I went the smartphone route, it would be a heck of alot more. I don't live in the US, and the carriers here over charge and there isn't a thing I can do if I want coverage. I also would need more than 3 phones as I have children who are old enough to stay home by themselves but not old enough to work to pay for their own phones. It all adds up, and the landline is just cheaper, as whoever needs the only cell can then take it.
ThermoGel
December 22, 2010 at 7:31pm
37 and ditched the land line in 2008. I thought I would hate, but I am so glad I got rid of the land line.
carfixr44
December 22, 2010 at 6:25pm
I'm 64 and I've followed my kids and cut the cord. I can't describe how good it felt to tell QWEST to go pound sand.
ajuhawk
December 22, 2010 at 5:30pm
Cut the cord in '03 since my wife and I both have cell phones and we got tired of all the telemarketing calls. Family was always on the cell phone due to long distance, so no use having a land line. Low 30's age wise, fwiw.
Just got a bluetooth to phone converter since my wife leaves her phone in odd places, so got a couple cordless phones stashed around the house for the "landline" convenience.
nickb64
December 22, 2010 at 5:14pm
We still have a landline because it's oddly cheaper, at least at first, and our cell service would be bad here near Disney no matter what carrier we had. The service is great about a block away at the crappiest place on earth, Disney.
BobbyPhoenix
December 22, 2010 at 4:20pm
Subject says it all. Why pay for more than one line, land or cell? No need to have two numbers.
OvenMaster
December 22, 2010 at 4:08pm
I'm in my early 50's. I need a landline because that's how I get Verizon's DSL service. For 3.0Mb DSL, I pay $20 a month, vs cable internet's 1.5Mb for $27 a month. At those prices, DSL is a no-brainer. I don't own a cellphone, either, because I don't have a job where I need to be in touch with people 24/7.
deadsenator
December 22, 2010 at 8:08pm
Privacy. Call quality. Reliability. 911 (if needed). Phone retains power in a blackout (cell might too, but depends on the tower). Alarm systems. Multiple phones throughout the house.
These are enough reasons for me to retain my land line for $30/mo. 40-49 group, if you must lump me in.
EDIT: Oh, and I own a cellphone, too.
pastorbob
December 22, 2010 at 3:23pm
where I live they need to improve service considerably before I do away with our landline. We live in the true "dead zone" in town and for several miles around. It doesn't matter what provider you have, the service stinks. If I didn't travel so much I wouldn't even have a cell phone. Ironically the towns I visit the most have wonderful signal strength.
What amazes me is the number of people in town who still insist on dumping their landline. The number of dropped calls when I talk to them on the phone is ridiculous. Ahhh the joys of living in rural America!
TommM
December 22, 2010 at 3:22pm
And I'm a decade beyond the age group stated. I don't understand the point in having a landline if you have a cellphone. These days it's just a device for telemarketers to annoy the hell out of you with.
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