NORFOLK, Va. — Way back when, the phone books - big and bulky, yellow and white - were something we relied on almost every day.
Pre-internet, they were one of the most important tools to bring family and friends, and buyers and sellers together.
The Yellow Pages were used to find businesses, and the White Pages helped find people’s phone numbers and addresses.
In Virginia, the state required they be handed out for free by telephone companies, and a lot of people looked forward to the annual delivery back in the 1980s and 1990s.
But by 2009, the internet connected us to everything we needed, and we turned our backs on our favorite four-pound directory.
But it was probably for the best. When Verizon stopped publishing the White Pages in 2011, 1,640 tons of paper were saved statewide.
Nevertheless, the Yellow Pages are still around, and many of us get them delivered every year, despite research showing most don’t even need it or want it.
The last study done in 2011, showed that only 30% of Americans use a physical copy at home.
You can, however, choose to not receive a physical copy by opting out online.