The Perils of Having a Cellphone

I was driving down the street the other day and I couldn’t help but notice how many people – young and old – were glued to their phones.

Now I understand the attraction of those hand-held computers (that’s what they are after all) but it saddens me to see people walking their dog (for example) while looking at their phones or mothers with baby strollers staring at their phones while strolling with their baby. Is it so boring to be looking at birds or clouds or – heck – other people when out and about? 

Do I even dare to bring up how cavalier people are who are looking at their phones while crossing the street? I’m was told that it is my responsibility to get out of the way of cars – not the other way around. Crossing the street while peering at the small screen doesn’t really lend itself to being aware of what’s going on nearby. 

I think it’s interesting to note what I’ve always thought – that cellphones can be dangerous to the wellbeing of users, especially kids – is becoming more universally accepted. 

I read on Wikipedia, “Problematic smartphone use is psychological or behavioral dependence on cell phones. It is closely related to other forms of digital media overuse such as social media addiction or internet addiction disorder.” How many times have I questioned the ability of kids to have a healthy in-person interaction with another human being instead of texting someone?

And according to the National Institute of Health/National Library of Medicine, “Research has shown an increased risk of traffic accidents, about three-to-four times greater chance of an accident, when mobile phones (either handheld or with a ‘hands-free’ kit) are used while driving due to distraction.” 

I know my age is showing when I share that I think I raised the last generation of kids who didn’t have their phones at the dinner table. There weren’t any handheld devices. So when we sat down to dinner we did so as a family, ready to share the experiences of our day. It wasn’t all sugar sweet; I do have memories when there’d be arguments while passing the potatoes.

I remember growing up we’d typically have dinner at 7 o’clock. We’d watch “I Love Lucy” while eating dinner. At 7:30 the nighttime “Price is Right” would come on and we’d divide into teams to try and guess the closest to the price of an item or showcase.

Hmmm – we’d watch TV while having dinner. Is that considered the same as having a phone at the table? I don’t know – but what I do know is it wasn’t as offensive (or dangerous) to me as phones can be today.