Nowadays, people of all ages are glued to their phones as if their life depends on it. In actuality, it’s more like their lives depend on them utilizing their phones safely when the time is appropriate. We’ve all heard of the dangers of texting or surfing the web on your phone while driving. Need I say more?
Unfortunately, many still are unaware of how dangerous texting can be, even while walking. For that reason, a public service announcement from the Western Cape Government in South Africa features surveillance footage of dozens of individuals texting while walking. It goes on to highlight the unfortunate consequences that occurred as a result.
The video showcases a variety of texting-while-walking scenarios such as people bumping into a pole, falling down the stairs, tripping over objects, you name it. There is even a scene where two people are both texting while walking toward one another, eventually bumping into each other. This shows that presuming others will be alert around you is not an adequate excuse for putting yourself in a dangerous situation.
While it may seem unlikely that any of the latter scenarios would occur from simple texting and walking, these happen more than people know.
Toward the end, the video also features a teenage or young adult doing something on her phone while driving, and what happened next is scary.
The main takeaway from the video is that if many people can’t safely text while walking, then there is no way texting and driving are safe. Yet, there still are people out there who don’t see a problem with this.
The thing is that when someone is texting, not only are their eyes focused on their phone’s screen or keyboard, they are also often mentally and/or emotionally engaged with their phones. Just from this simple device, it essentially blocks out one’s surroundings and everything they are doing apart from texting, especially if they are deeply engaged in whatever they are looking at or typing on their phones.
You can be great at multitasking but there will always be more danger when you take on too much at a time, especially when one or multiple of those tasks involve concentrating and being less alert.
It is important that everyone the dangers posed from texting while doing something else in the process. There is a time and a place for everything.
To grasp a better understanding of these hazards, be sure to watch the video below.
Share this video on Facebook and Twitter to encourage others that #itcanwait!
