Walkie-Talkies Make a Comeback in the Stay-at-Home Era

By kmvq on April 13, 2020

PYEONGCHANG-GUN, SOUTH KOREA – FEBRUARY 17: Anton Kushnir of Belarus talks on a walkie-talkie during the Freestyle Skiing Men’s Aerials Qualification on day eight of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Phoenix Snow Park on February 17, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

It wasn’t too long ago that the walkie-talkies was a pretty essential communication device. But The Wall Street Journal reports that “their consumer use seemed to be going the way of the transistor radio”–until the coronavirus pandemic forced people to stay at home.

Now the newspaper says that children are using them to stay in touch without hogging the Wi-Fi bandwidth parents need for videoconferences, co-workers are turning to walkie-talkie devices and apps to avoid having to type or dial as they work remotely, and spouses and roommates are using them to stay in touch as they work in different corners of homes.

“It’s quite an overwhelming situation at the moment,” said Sophie Hobson, a Londoner who uses her walkie-talkie to summon her husband for the kitchen for lunch or tea breaks. “I think finding a little bit of fun in and amongst it all is really important for your well-being and for your relationship.”