Inventions and the creation of new technologies are some of the most important discoveries we have. They include computers, compact discs and iPods. None, though, have been as important or impactful as the cellular telephone. Cell phones were first conceived of at the end of the 19th century. However, the technology didn't become available to the public until the 1980's. It was in the late 80's and early 90's when the technology began to catch on and became a popular form of communication. Since that time, cell phones have rapidly became the number one form of communication. This past summer USA Today did a feature on the Top 25 "eureka" moments in the past 25 years in accordance to their 25th anniversary. Number one on their list was cell phones and three was the BlackBerry. In 1994, there were less than 25 million cell phone users in the U.S. Today, there are over 200 million.
In a recent study done by the Pew Research Center in Washington, it was found that 7-9 percent of the public uses only cell phones as opposed to landlines. That number is still on the rise, too. A majority of that percent is believed to be the younger generation, less affluent, less likely to be married, and to own their home. In the year 2000, the percentage of cell only users was near zero. I believe the reason behind this is because younger people tend to do whatever is least expensive, especially if they are less affluent.
53 percent of people that made less than $30,000 used only cell phones compared with 9 percent of the group that makes $75,000 or more. The twenty-somethings also are very tech savvy and don't feel like using "old" technology such as landline telephones. In a recent study done on cell phone use and social connectedness, the authors found that people like having cell phones as opposed to landlines because they are always a finger tip away from someone, thus always being connected. Think how you feel when you forget your cell phone at home when you go out. It's not the greatest feeling because now you aren't connected and you tend to be in a different mood. When you have access to a cell phone at all times, what is the point of wasting money on a landline? A quarter of landline users say they are at least very likely to discontinue their landline service. The ratio of people under 30 compares with people over 30 likely to abandon their landline is more than 2 to 1. Even if you are in your thirties right now, you grew up without cell phone service or minimal service, so there is reluctance to change.
There was a huge discrepancy in people that did not graduate from high school and people that did graduate and the people that attended or graduated from college. 8 percent of non-high school graduates used only a cell phone, where as 32 percent who's highest education level was a high school degree used only cell phones. The reasoning with this also lies with money. With no degree, there are almost zero good paying jobs you can obtain, so you may not have either phone service. But, if you at least graduate from college, you can afford something. The correlation is not there, though, because people that made under $30,000, like previously stated, had a large chunk of cell only use.
The demographics of the landline only group are the complete opposite of the cell only: seniors. Forty-one percent of people 65 and older use a landline only. This can be attributed with a blind eye to technology and not wanting to adapt, which tend to both be reasons why older people don't like cell phones. Most seniors have somewhat of a state of denial with technology. They dislike it and don't want to deal with change. Plus, it is tougher for them to use cell phones because they have gone there whole life without high tech gadgets and such.
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Bibliography:
Pompa, F. (2007, July 2). 25 years of 'eureka' moments. USA Today. Retrieved November 15, 2007, from http://www.usatoday.com/news/top25-inventions.htm#uslPageReturn
Keeter, S. (2006, May 15). National Polls Not Undermined by Growing Cell-Only Population. The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, Retrieved November 15, 2007, from http://people-press.org/reports/pdf/276.pdf
Wei, R. (2006, January). Staying connected while on the move: Cell phone use and social connectedness. New Media & Society (Communication Research), Retrieved November 18, 2007, from http://online.sagepub.com/cgi/searchresults?fulltext=cell+phone&src=hw
Mahood, C. (2007, October). Lecture 11: Mobile. Retrieved November 15, 2007, from The Ohio State University College of Social and Behavioral Sciences: https://carmen.osu.edu/d2l/orgTools/ouHome/ouHome.asp?ou=459058
Negropante, N. (1995, May 15). Being Digital. Retrieved November 15, 2007, from https://carmen.osu.edu/d2l/orgTools/ouHome/ouHome.asp?ou=459058
