What’s a necessity? TV? Dishwasher? iPod?

Do you think a television set is a necessity? A New York Times article by Floyd Norris says that 52 percent think a television is a necessity according to a Pew Research Center poll. That is the lowest figure since that question was first asked in 1973.

The older you are, the more likely you are to view it as a necessity. Among those over 65, 68 percent think a set is a necessity, compared to 38 percent of those age 18 to 29. But both those figures are down from three years ago.

Even those who say home air conditioning is a necessity went down from 70 percent to only 54 percent since 2006.

The the young are more likely to view a cellphone as a necessity, and less likely to see a need for a landline.

Also, only 4 percent of Americans think an iPod is a necessity. I would have guessed a much higher percent with all the iPods in use. We have several grandchildren in that 4 percent.

Whether this is a brief, recession-induced pause, or a real change, is not easy to say.

The Norris NYT blog entry is here and the Pew Research poll report is here.