Only a few years ago, having a smart phone was considered somewhat of a luxury item, but today it's become a necessity for many Garden State residents, even those without jobs or a steady source of income.

iPhone
Flickr user: William Hook
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"The trend is not surprising because poor people tend to move more often. They may be evicted from an apartment, they may be crashing with a family member, and so it's very difficult for them to maintain a landline," says Rutgers Sociology Professor Dr. Deborah Carr.

She says the idea of spending money on a smart phone may seem extravagant, but the iPhone is really a cheap supplement.

"With an iPhone you have your entertainment, you have your games, you have your social outreach, you have the news - you don't have to buy a newspaper every day."

"It's sensible that those who don't have a lot of resources have a mobile phone," Carr explained. "We all need human connectedness, whether it's literally talking to someone and sharing our problems, or really needing someone to help, calling someone to pick up their child from daycare, for instance. It is a really an immediate way to get and give that social support that people need so much."

She also points out more and more people of all ages are using electronic devices to help them find work.

"It's no longer the case that you print up our resume on some lovely tan colored paper at a printer, but rather, you'll upload it online - it's much quicker and easier. Technology is the way people are looking for a job these days."

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