People Who Still Own A Landline Usually Have 9 Other Outdated Things In Their Homes
Everett Collection | ShutterstockOwning a landline phone is rare nowadays, but just because something is outdated doesn't mean it isn't useful. So, while younger generations might mock it, people who still have a landline hooked up at home usually also have a whole bunch of other antiquated things they simply aren't willing to part with.
9 somewhat outdated items people who still use a landline phone often have in their homes:
1. Physical phone books and address books
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Many older generations have fond memories of flipping through the Yellow Pages or the White Pages, looking for an address to a restaurant or a friend’s phone number. Now, they’re a relic of the past. Printed, bound phone books started phasing out in 2010 until they sort of disappeared, but some people still keep one they've had forever, often tucked away in a drawer collecting dust.
Also a rarity is an actual address book. Yup, if you've got a landline, chances are high that hidden in the same spot as the phonebook from 1994 is the family address book with actual handwritten entries.
2. Big filing cabinets
Despite younger generations storing most things in the Cloud or on their computers, many older generations still keep hard copies of important documents in their home office filing cabinet. In many ways, it’s protective and practical. If the internet crashed or something happened digitally, their important stuff is safe and accessible.
In fact, many documents require original signatures and shouldn't be stored only digitally. Contracts and financial documents like mortgages, as well as birth certificates and marriage licenses, should have a safe storage spot that isn't just a scanned document.
3. CD, DVD, or VHS players
While only 15% of Americans still regularly watch VHS tapes, close to half still use physical CDs. Even with younger generations, a love for physical media and entertainment is growing popular again, as drained and stressed-out people try to disconnect from their phones.
So, of course, they have a CD binder or a shelf of VHS, whether they use them or not. If record players can make a comeback, why toss these gems?
4. Analog clocks
Only 43% of adults under 30 say they can instantly read an analog clock, compared to over 95% of adults 65 or older. It’s not surprising, since younger generations grow up with phones displaying the time without having to read the hands, but that doesn’t mean they won't need to practice the skill when they visit a grandparent’s home.
With a grandfather clock ticking away or an old-school alarm clock, they have no choice but to learn. That’s part of why people who still own a landline are still holding onto these clocks, because they mean something deeper than the convenience people seek today.
5. Cable TV
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Many people with landlines bought all their entertainment in a bundle package. They got their cable and telephone expenses bundled together, so it’s not shocking that refusing to give up or throw away one means keeping the other in their home, too.
Even if they’ve already jumped on the streaming bandwagon or started using only cellphones, the what-if-we-end-up-needing-them argument for keeping a landline on the hook or the cable box under the TV still lives.
6. Encyclopedias
While encyclopedias are still widely used as research tools and historical references in many situations, they’re not nearly as useful in someone's home today. Especially for people with internet access and phones in their back pockets, flipping through a book to find a specific term or definition isn't very convenient.
Of course, for certain types of people, like writers or creators, having access to physical dictionaries and encyclopedias can be an important part of their process, but most of the time, it’s just an old-school piece of decor or a family’s history that hasn’t been thrown out or given away yet.
7. China cabinets
Many young people aren’t interested in taking family heirlooms from their parents, which have been passed down for generations. The china cabinets and the fine china in them don’t feel practical for young people, who tend to have less space in their homes than their parents and grandparents.
That’s why so many older generations, who probably still have a landline, have these antique pieces of furniture in their homes. They need a place to store all the heirlooms no one wants.
8. Rotary phones
If someone has a landline, there’s a good chance one of their phones is a rotary phone. It’s a classic that's actually fun for young people socialized with cell phones to play around with.
There’s something special about having these kinds of things at home, as a reminder, if nothing else, of a time that people who experienced it sorely miss.
9. Typewriter
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While some people still use typewriters regularly, and even shops exist to buy and repair them, for the most part, they’re an old-school relic. While they might intrigue Gen Zers trying to get off their phones or screens, they’re often found in the homes of people who forgot they were stored in the basement, collecting dust.
Of course, plenty of people appreciate the quality and the memories and hold onto typewriters, a landline, or their encyclopedias for the sake of nostalgia.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a senior editorial strategist with a bachelor’s degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human-interest stories.
