and those "needs" cost money. Not everyone had a mobile phone back in those days, in fact no one had a mobile phone back then and they come at a substantial cost. the phones cost money and the service costs money and it doesn't go away it is a forever cost to life. You could say the same thing about internet access and cable TV and other things that no one spent any money on even 30 years ago.
I doubt there is a millenial alive who could function without a phone and internet.