Blaise Tapp: It’s the end of an era as I finally ditch the telephone landline
Last week, I took a decision that has already been made by the majority of UK householders – I finally ditched the landline.
Even though it was the classic ‘no brainer’ – the only people who have been calling us recently on the phone in the corner of the living room are the in-laws – who also contact us via their smartphones - and an array of occasional cold callers, it does feel very much like the end of an era.
The distinctive ring of the ‘house phone’ has been a constant presence throughout my life and used to signal the beginning of hour-long chats with grandparents or that favourite great aunt. Never longer than an hour mind you because after that, it stopped being ‘free’.
Back in my childhood phone calls were often planned affairs – usually after 6pm on weekdays or anytime on a Sunday, and because they were our only form of instant communication, they were central to everything. Kids everywhere in late ‘80s and ‘90s lived in fear of their parents receiving the latest itemised bill and the inevitable cry of ‘who’s been ringing Runcorn……..for 47 minutes……. on a Tuesday afternoon’.
But in the 21st Century and the era of instant messaging, video calls and a world packed full of billions of mobile phones, landlines are increasingly falling out of fashion with just 47 per cent of homes in the UK now having one – the first time landline ownership has been in the minority.
This is a trend which is clearly being driven by younger generations, with the vast majority of over 65s still reliant on more traditional technology to stay in touch with the rest of the world. While older folk still love a natter, it’s becoming obvious that talking to each other is going out of fashion with many of those who don’t remember rationing and black and white tvs.
Personally, I love a chinwag and favour a mobile voice or video call but text or WhatsApp messages are how millions choose to communicate, which means an important skill – being able to talk about nothing in particular – could die out in years to come. Talking cobblers to loved ones and pals kept me sane during those bleak days of Covid lockdowns and I hope that our obsession with new technology doesn’t mean that we lose the ability to connect with each other.