I Miss Landlines!

May 31, 2025

I’m fully aware that this post is probably going to come off as a sort of boomer rant. Nevertheless, I feel compelled to share it because I haven’t heard anyone talk about this before (including actual boomers, ironically).

Anyways, I miss landlines. Or rather, it’s probably more accurate to say that I miss the rhythm of life that landlines were designed for.

You’ve probably never heard anybody mourn the loss of landlines before, because at first, it seems completely asinine – but I assure you, my nostalgia is very sensible. Possibly even warranted.

🌹

Just from the technological standpoint alone, landlines were actually great for what they were designed to do, and far superior to modern VOIP systems. Call quality was crystal clear, and latency was non-existent. Speaking over a true landline was pure bliss.

“But Luke,” you piercingly screech, “Cell phones are so convenient! I can reach anyone, anytime, anywhere!”

In some circumstances, that is certainly nice, but it’s not the whole picture. Let me give an example that many of you should relate to:

I currently work a job that is heavily dependent on being attached to my cell phone. I regularly deal with people trying to contact me late into the evening, when they should be doing anything else. When landlines were the prevalent form of long-distance communication, society had a stronger sense of personal boundaries that everyone was expected to respect. It was considered rude to call someone late at night, because in that act you aren’t only reaching out to Joe Johnson – you’re reaching out to the entire Johnson household.

And I think that last point really expresses my larger esteem for landlines. There’s something about the idea of a household calling a household that I really like. And that’s not to say that an individual calling an individual is bad – it certainly has it’s utilitarian merits.

I expect that older people will intuitively understand what I mean, given their own upbringing and experience in a world where landlines were everywhere. But for people who’ve never had a landline in their own home, the thought might seem irrelevant. And I guess that means I’m old, because no scenario is immediately coming to mind. I’m sure you’ll think of something.

I’ll end on this note: the ubiquitous switch from landlines to cell phones is, more often than not, framed as a normal technological advancement. But in some small way, I think that switch is also a symptom of our trend from a more communal and familial society, to a more isolated and atomized one.

📬Reply via E-Mail or Share with a friend.

•