Yes, you read the title correctly. Your eyes didn’t deceive you. I am still using a landline phone in the year 2020. Even though I am in my late-forties, I am a bit old fashion and thoroughly enjoy my landline phone. You would think that with the advancements in technology I would have cut the cord a long time ago and got rid of my landline phone. In 2017 the Centers for Disease Control, CDC did a survey showing that over 50% of people use a cell phone   only and I would think those numbers are even higher today. So, why continue to have a landline? Well, I can give you at least eight reasons.

1.  I can get to my landline quickly and easily. In each room of my town house I have a landline phone. Two are cordless and two are connected to a phone wall jack. One in the kitchen, one in the bedroom, one in my home office, and one in the living room. No matter where I am in my home I can quickly and easily get to a phone. Whereas with my cell phone I can’t do the same., If I leave it upstairs in the bedroom, I have to run back up the steps to get it when it starts ringing. Or I would have to wear my cell phone on my body while moving around the house in order to keep it close. Neither option is very feasible or convenient.

2.  In case of an emergency, I can get to a landline phone a lot faster than my cell. If there is some small emergency and I am downstairs I can quickly grab one of my landline phones if my cell phone is upstairs. Every minute counts when dealing with a crisis.

3.  My landline phone is more comfortable to actually talk on. Especially now with COVID-19 I am talking on the phone even more to friends and family  checking on their well- being. Trying to hold these conversations on a smartphone is very challenging. the shape and design of a smartphone is not practical to fit snuggly between my ear and shoulder like a traditional landline. While talking, my smartphone slips off my ear onto my cheek or shoulder. Also, the phone gets hot and damp then I have to shift it from ear to ear to keep dry. I don’t have these problems on my land line phone.

4.  My landline phones have easy to press buttons. All the phones in my home, especially in my home office have easy to press buttons on the keypad. I don’t have to figure out with flicks, taps or swipes where the numbers are. I don’t have to figure out how to maneuver call waiting.  I have an answering machine option built into my landline phone. And yes, I have an answering machine! It works well for those pesky robo calls because I can listen to the actual caller and decide if I want to pick up or not. Whereas with voice mail my talking caller ID would announce the number leaving me to wonder who was calling.

5.  My landlines have lasted for years and don’t need to be upgraded.  Unlike my smartphone that I have had to upgrade a couple of times to stay on top of the latest advancements, my landlines require none of this. They have lasted for several years with little to no maintenance.

6.  I don’t want to be available constantly. If I had just a cell phone then my personal and business calls would come to the same phone and it would be ringing too often. I don’t want to constantly be on call all the time. I want to be able to separate home from work life. The fact that I have a home number and cell number helps to keep the two separated and my life more balanced.

7.  If my cell phone is lost, stolen or damaged I might be up the creek. Fortunately, I have a landline so I don’t have to worry. If something were to happen to my cell phone, I have another phone to make my calls and handle my affairs. If my cell phone were damaged and I needed to ship it off for repairs what would I do in the meantime? What would be the backup plan to make calls and connect with people?

8.  The last reason why I still have a landline phone is because of my home security alarm system. I know that alarm systems can be connected to your cell phones but they are more expensive. I called my security company and they gave me a higher quote for monitoring service than my current plan. In addition, they would have to come out to my home and install a receiver box that would pick up the signal with the cell tower in my area. This too is an extra expense. I politely said “Thanks but no thanks” and hung up the phone-my landline phone that is.

My reasons for keeping my landline phone are not to persuade you but just to share my personal experience. You decide what works best for your home and family. I have looked and weighed the pros and cons and will keep my landline. Do you have a landline phone? If so why or why not. Share your thoughts and comments below.