Calling Mom on Mother's Day... And Any Day

Long-distance phone calls still peak on Mother's Day, when folks from all over call Mom to give her their love. However, calling Mom is no longer a rare event, as the lowering of long-distance rates and the ubiquitousness of cell phones have led to the commoditization of the phone conversation.

According to Pew Research, 42% of adults talk with a parent every day, versus only 32% in 1989. For parents and children who live in different towns, 22% maintain daily contact, as opposed to 8% in 1989.

Indeed, I'm old enough to remember when calling Grandma several states away was a special occasion in of itself, reserved only for holidays, birthdays or deaths in the family. Nowadays, Grandma and grandkids both have cell phones... and may be IM'ing or e-mailing when they're not talking or texting.