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College Students Turn Away From Landlines

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the along-with-everyone-else dept.

prostoalex writes "You're as likely to find a landline in a college dorm as you're an old typewriter, according to this Washington Post article on MSNBC. While roughly 30% of college students had a cell phone 5 years ago, more than 90% have them today, resulting in student directories including out-of-state numbers instead of 4-digit extensions. More trivia on college students: 90% own a PC, 65% have broadband, 62% own a stereo system, 74% have a DVD player, 55% have a gaming system. What the Washington Post article also hints at, is possible tuition hikes due to the landlines dropped so quickly. "Six or seven years ago, telephones on campus were a cash cow," said Glenn Gaslin of Morrisville State College in New York."

5 of 383 comments (clear)

  1. Technology evolves by Gareth+Saxby · · Score: 5, Insightful

    As technology moves on, there's not a lot else to be expected really. The cheap and widespread availability of wireless communication means that more students will be inevitably taking the easier option; who wants to be tied down while making a phone call?

    To be frank, a change like this doesn't count as news, it's enevitable with evolving technology that things will change. This is just one of the many steps that are happening towards the much larger changes that are bound to come.

  2. That's great and all ... by jdwest · · Score: 5, Interesting

    except when one rings during my lecture.

    Never fails, despite warnings to the contrary. So I INSIST that they take the call -- right then, right there. I see a few others stealthily reaching into their backpacks to turn theirs off.

    I don't have any problems ... for the rest of the semester, at least.

    --

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet ...
    1. Re:That's great and all ... by omega_cubed · · Score: 5, Funny

      Oh, one of my professors does it much differently...

      Prof: ... and the superlocrian scale here
      ---BRRRRRRIIING---
      [Amanda looks up all embarassed]
      [Prof walks over to Amanda, picks up the cell phone from next to her handbag.]
      Prof: Yo.
      Phone: ...
      Prof: What you want?
      Phone: ...
      Prof: Yeah! This is Horatio. What you want with my woman?
      [the other end hangs up]

      It never fails to amuse... (funny how some students just don't learn).

      --
      Engineers also speak PDE, only in a different dialect.
  3. Should have never been a cash cow by zotz · · Score: 5, Insightful

    '"Six or seven years ago, telephones on campus were a cash cow," said Glenn Gaslin of Morrisville State College in New York.'

    And here we see a basic problem. Trying to earn more than a fair return because you have monopoly power in a certain situation.

    They should never have been a cash cow in the first place, just a service provided to students with a modest rate of return.

    all the best,

    drew

    --
    FreeMusicPush If you want to see more Free Music made, listen to Free
  4. Re:90%? by mshawatmit · · Score: 5, Funny

    Thats interesting. I have not met one person here (MIT) who does not own at least two PCs. I've also not met anyone here who runs Windows.