Does anyone still use the Yellow Pages?

I'm serious. I can't remember the last time I reached for the phone book. In fact, I don't even know that I get a current copy of it from the phone company anymore.

Is this a generational thing?

I ask because recently, I watched a young man (19 years old) fumble around with the phone book (at the request of his boss) attempting to find the contact info. for a local utilities company. 20-30 minutes into his endeavor, he finally admitted to never having used the book before and that he was totally unfamiliar with how it worked. This guy is not stupid--he had simply never used the Yellow Pages before--in his entire life!

Additionally, ad space in these directories is violently expensive. Is the cost worth it? Do people still "let their fingers do the walking?" or do we just "Google it" now?

...don't look for Atmos Trio in the Yellow Pages anytime soon.

1 comments:

United Solopsists Association said...

I use them still, but this may be the sunset period for the familiar yellow book. Maybe, considering the amount of non-recyclable paper pulp that goes into publishing the thing, extinction might not be so bad. But with the YP, at least you could infer by the presence and size of an ad how established a business is. Online listings don't offer you that.
For what it's worth, I had to explain how to make change to a young cashier yesterday. That made me feel old. No shortage of laziness anymore.
Last observation: Plato once said that "old age comes when nothing new is welcome to your ears."