I am 28 and I have a land line.
Mine is through Time Warner Cable. It's inexpensive enough, but the sound quality is not as good as with the traditional phone company. Also, it take a long time for the dial tone to come on when you lift the receiver.
When I called Time Warner to inquire about service, I asked if I could dial out with my rotary dial phones. THEY ACTUALLY HAD TO CALL AN ENGINEER!!!! Yes, it works with rotary dial. Would I do it again? No way! With the traditional phone company, the phone (as long as it's not a cordless) will function during a power failure. A phone through a cable modem will not function when the power is out.
Also, when you call 911 from a land line phone, they know the address from which the call came, which can be handy if you are cut off before you can give your location. I have lived here for about 9 months, and I have dialed 911 a 3 times (2 car crashes in the nearby intersection and a crazy guy firing a gun). I called in the car accidents immediately in case of injuries and to get the mess cleaned up and investigated quickly. The gun, on the other hand, just really pissed me off so I called it in immediately to get him off the street and separated from his gun before he hurt or killed anyone.
Also, my housemate constantly forgets to take his cell phone or its battery is perpetually dead. When I am out, calling the house can sometimes get him on the line.
Gracious good afternoon. Have I reached the party to whom I am speaking?
Dave