It's completely an "age" thing. When was the last time you saw a really young person without a cell phone glued to their ear, or staring at it a few inches from their face? I have to wonder, what is this very important
communication they're all involved in, 24 hours a day?
OTOH, we really do need at least an email address. Not having one is similar to refusing to have a phone (a regular phone) in your home, or electricity, or indoor plumbing. Some things do make life easier.
Here's a nice application that I make use of: My local bank moved, taking their very convenient ATM with them. I thought any time I got a check to deposit, I'd have to drive some distance to the nearest ATM. But I discovered
that you can now take a picture of the check with your cell phone, and deposit it into your account online! Saves a lot of running back and forth.