Americans are moving away from landline phones. While only a decade ago, nearly all homes had a landline phone (97% of U.S. households in 2001), today, just 74% of homes have a landline. Furthermore, 82% of adults now use a cell phone, up from 53% in 2000. Still, more Americans say a landline phone is a necessity (62%) than say a cell phone is a necessity (47%) while a majority (52%) consider a cell phone to be a luxury you can live without. Age is a large factor in “the balance of necessity” between the cell and landline phone. Young Americans have made the switch; fully 59% of adults ages 18-29 regard a cell phone as a necessity while just 46% say the same about a landline phone. Among adults older than age 30, however, the landline phone remains more important. This is especially true of adults ages 65 and older. Just 29% of older Americans consider a cell phone to be a necessity, while 77% say landlines are a necessity. Read More