Pager

Beepers were everywhere in the 90s — clipped to belts, buried in backpacks, and buzzing at the worst possible times. Doctors had them, dealers had them, and anyone trying to look important had one too. They didn’t send messages, but that little buzz meant someone wanted your attention. Bonus cool points if yours had a translucent case. Pagers (or beepers) have been around since the 1950s, but they hit their stride in the 80s and 90s. Using radio signals to deliver simple numeric (and later text) messages, they were the go-to for quick communication before cell phones took over. While most of us left them behind in the early 2000s, some places — especially hospitals — still keep them buzzing.