a couple things gen alpha may not know about the differences between cell phones and payphones:
cell phones often don't work during disasters or other unusually high phone traffic. payphones are landlines, so they still work as long as they're not cut from their line.
this is also true for some remote areas: there's a reason people working on remote sites (camp sites, forestry, emergency responders, etc.) have landlines, especially in places with changeable weather that could affect radio/walkie talkies/cell service.
payphones are extra important if someone is being threatened or held against their will: a kidnapper or other nefarious person could take/break a cell phone, but the payphone is bolted to the ground, and it would look suspicious if they dragged a victim away from it. a while ago a lost kid used a payphone to call 911.
in a similar vein, many emergency systems haven't been updated to keep up with modern cell phones (we haven't even had maps on our phones for 10 years yet), so depending on where you live it can be difficult for dispatchers to figure out where you are if you're using a cell phone. since payphones don't move, dispatchers know exactly where they are and can send help faster.
to be clear, i'm not hating on cell phones (you'd have to pry mine from my cold dead hands) BUT i do think physical emergency phones and payphones fill a really important gap! it would be a hit to general safety if we lost them completely, especially for poorer or more remote folks.
