The rise of the mobile phone and social media mean you’re always connected, making it almost impossible to get away from it all.
But you don’t have to go back to the days of smoke signals to find a time when life was much simpler and nobody needed a digital detox.
As recently as the 80s, 90s and noughties, it was still easy to cut yourself off and escape - even for just a moment - from the pressures of daily life.
Of course back then we didn’t know how good we had it, and we were all desperate for the latest technology to ensure we didn’t miss a thing.
Below are just some of the ways we used to stay in touch, many of which you’ll only truly understand if you remember the 80s, 90s and noughties.
How many of these do you remember using and would you happily go back to the days before we were all connected at the touch of a screen?
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9. CB radios
CB (short for citizens band) radio was a short-distance radio communications system, a bit like a walkie talkie with a longer range, which was first introduced in the UK in the 1960s but did not become legal until 1981. Despite this it was probably most popular before it was legalised, with usage reportedly peaking in 1980, fuelled by its use in the film Convoy and with a number of novelty hit songs. CB radios were among the best-selling Christmas gifts in 1981, when they were still a big craze, but their popularity quickly dwindled after that. | Geoff Bruce/Central Press/Getty Images Photo: Geoff Bruce/Central Press/Getty Images