GREENWOOD — If you read the number sequence "07734" and don’t think "Hello," there’s a good chance you never had to decode pager messages.
Pagers or beepers were the must-have item for Hoosier teens 25 years ago.
The communication device began as a business tool, but soon became a fashion statement for area teens allowing them to communicate via numeric messages.
Pagers allowed a recipient to be paged or alerted to call a specific number. A user would then return the page via a phone call.
The device gave parents a faster way to get in touch with their children.
“I had to beg to get it,” Sarah Fischer told former WRTV reporter Ben Morriston in March 1997.
However since early beepers weren’t capable of handling text, teens often resorted to pager-speak, communicating with numbers only. Teens wanted to keep some messages "007" or a secret.
Jim Anderson with Quality Cellular said teens were drawn to certain pager features.
“They like the colors, predominantly the colors are the big thing. They like the ones with 3 to 4 bell tones,” he said.
-
Franklin Township Community School Corporation supports Google data center
The Franklin Township Community School Corporation has announced support for controversial plans for a Google data center.
Affordable housing complex officially opens on northeast side
A new affordable housing complex is now open on the northeast side, and it comes as the city hopes to continue developing affordable housing projects in the future.
Indiana cuts early childhood education funding, leaving families struggling
Indiana has slashed funding for early childhood education, cutting the state’s On My Way Pre-K program in half and reducing weekly tuition support for families.
Plainfield High School students launch boutique to support classmates, community
From hygiene products to T-shirts, a group of Plainfield High School students have turned a simple class project into a powerful community initiative.
