Teens Prefer Landlines To Talk To Friends

from the talk-talk dept

Wed, Jul 27th 2005 3:05pm — Carlo Longino

The lastest study from the Pew Internet and American Life Project is out, and doesn't look to include anything quite as controversial as their podcast survey a few months back: while it's not surprising that the phone is still teens' overwhelming choice for communicating with their friends, they prefer landlines over mobiles. It's likely that the choice comes down to cost -- even though family plans from cellular carriers are growing in popularity, the landline is still generally the cheapest method for long-duration local calls, particularly if Mom and Dad are footing the bill. Twenty-four percent said IM was their perferred method, double the percentage that cited mobile phones -- but keep in mind, too, that just 45% of teens surveyed said they own a cell phone.

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thatguy, 27 Jul 2005 @ 3:28pm

I agree it's cost but....
I think it has more to do with trying to have a long or important conversation with someone and there is voice delay (lag). There is nothing more annoying (in my mind) than trying to talk on your cell phone to someone else who is on their cell phone. There is always this constant studdering "are you talking or is it my turn" sort of issue going on.

I truely think that if cell phone end up with the same overall quality as landlines and people start using the "service to service" free minute plans (all your friends/family use the same cell company), then this survey will change quite significantly and teens would much rather use their cell phone for most of their conversations.
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Anonymous Coward, 27 Jul 2005 @ 3:32pm

Another reason...
The main reason I never like to talk a long time on a mobile phone is that those suckers heat up real fast.

After 20 minutes my ear is on fire and I'm ready to hang up quick!
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- Anonymous Coward, 28 Jul 2005 @ 2:02pm
  
  Re: Another reason...
  Good god, are both of you writing in from the 80's? Do your phones also weigh more than a housecat? I'm sure if you had any experience with equipment manufactured somewhat recently by a reputable vendor, you'd notice that these issues are long gone.
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