10% of Americans still use Yellow Pages
A 2024 poll found that 10% of all Americans still use the Yellow Pages, and among those aged 55 and older, almost three-quarters use it to find businesses.
Where this was said
Three Forces That Killed the Phone Book — and Who Still Uses It
At 16:16 · chapter starts 15:10
The phone book didn't die in one dramatic moment — it was chipped away by three successive forces [1] — Chuck Bryant "Three forces dismantled the phone book in quick succession: 411 free information lines in the '80s, the internet, and a 2004 Congressional …" 15:03 . First came 411, free directory assistance starting in the 1980s, which let you call a person to read you listings instead of hunting through a book yourself. Then the internet arrived and made finding businesses trivially easy. Finally, in 2004, Congress passed a law prohibiting cell phone numbers from being listed in phone books, dramatically narrowing the White Pages' usefulness to landline-only households. But the phone book never fully died. A 2024 poll found that more than 50 million US homes still have a landline, and 10% of all Americans still use the Yellow Pages [2] — Chuck Bryant "A 2024 poll found that 10% of all Americans still use the Yellow Pages, and among those 55 and older, almost three-quarters do. As long as …" 16:00 . Among those aged 55 and older, nearly three-quarters use it to find businesses. Josh, now in that demographic bracket, takes playful offense at being lumped in with 'the olds.' The episode closes with a genuine endorsement of Seneco Glass in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio — still advertising in the Yellow Pages, still serving local customers.
2004 law banned cell numbers from phone books
In 2004, Congress passed a law prohibiting cell phone numbers from being listed in phone books, accelerating their decline.
50M+ US homes still have landlines in 2024
A 2024 poll found that more than 50 million homes in the US still have a landline, meaning they continue to receive phone books unless they opt out.
The Phone Book Is Not Dead — 75% of Seniors Still Use It
A 2024 poll found that 10% of all Americans still use the Yellow Pages, and among those 55 and older, almost three-quarters do. As long as people use it, businesses have an incentive to advertise in it — and the Yellow Pages has every reason to keep publishing.
75% of 55+ Americans use Yellow Pages
Among Americans aged 55 and older, almost three-quarters still use the Yellow Pages to find businesses, according to a 2024 poll.
Similar snapshots
Suppression ≠ strength
Performing composure is not the same as having composure — emotionally sensitive people who suppress their feelings are acting a role, not resolving the underlying feeling.
Sensitivity = input; emotional intelligence = output
Emotional sensitivity is the raw input signal and emotional intelligence is the cultivated output — meaning sensitivity is a prerequisite for high EQ, not an obstacle to it.
Emotionally avoidant men often secretly sensitive
Men who appear emotionally avoidant are frequently emotionally sensitive individuals who were never given tools or permission to explore their sensitivity, so they default to withdrawal.
Ghosting triggers 'I am insufficient' narrative
Being ghosted is particularly damaging for sensitive people because their brain doesn't interpret it as the relationship ending — it interprets it as evidence of personal insufficiency.
Kierkegaard coined 'anxiety' 60+ years before Freud
Kierkegaard's concept of anxiety as 'the dizziness of freedom' predates Freud's psychological framework by roughly 60 years, yet modern research has since validated his core claims about commitment and identity.
Americans gained 24 extra hours/month alone (2003–2020)
Between 2003 and 2020, Americans accumulated roughly 24 extra hours per month spent alone — the equivalent of a part-time job's worth of isolation, and that's before the pandemic.
Median marriage age rose 6–8 years per gender since 1970s
Median age at first marriage climbed from 21 (women) and 23 (men) in the 1970s to nearly 29 (women) and 30 (men) today — a rise of 6–8 years per gender, extending the 'emerging adulthood' liminal phase.
SF average rent up 18% in 2 years
San Francisco's average rent rose 18% over the past two years to $3,728/month, surpassing New York City as the most expensive rental market in the country.
SF average rent: $3,728/month
San Francisco's average monthly rent now stands at $3,728, surpassing New York City to become the most expensive rental city in the United States.
