Dishwashers, Dryers and Other 'Old Tech' Become Less Necessary
A smaller percentage of Americans see their TV sets, dishwashers, clothes dryers and other “old” household technology as necessities, while a growing number describe broadband and iPods that way, according to a new survey by the Pew Research Center.
About 1,000 U.S. adults were interviewed by land-line phone and cellphone earlier this month and asked whether they considered 12 common products necessity or luxury items. Researchers at Pew’s Social & Demographic Trends Project compared the responses to a similar survey conducted in 2006, shortly before the recession started.
