Walking While Being Distracted By Texting is Very Risky

By now, using your phone while taking a stroll through town is as common as the air we breathe, even though walking while being distracted by texting is very risky, for pretty obvious reasons.

The major problem of this habit is that it really has become a habit, with most of the public not even realizing they are doing it. Even if a research was not really needed in order to prove the dangers of walking while being distracted constantly, a research team at the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons has still done it nonetheless in order to further show people that this lack of attention while walking should be avoided at all costs.

If someone is texting while waiting at a crosswalk in order for the cars to stop, the chances of not seeing the stoplights are more than quadrupled than those who simply look ahead or are actually paying attention.

Out of the 6.000 people involved in a questionnaire regarding “distracted walking” created by texting or playing on your phone, 78% of them had the same conclusion that this type of walking is a hazard, but not even half of them admitted of being culpable of the same distracted walking.

The hazards which this type of bad habit comes with are numerous, ranging from bumping into other people and various objects to serious injuries caused by cars or other vehicles. It also puts a lot of strain on your back if you are continuously hunched over your phone while texting and walking at the same time.

But texting is not the only issue at hand. Even if you just look down while walking you can expect to face the same threats as someone who is texting. Researchers advise people to at least try to look up when in parking lots and at stoplights or when a large human traffic is present in the area.

This type of walking could also affect your psyche. By passing everything around you without even looking up, you are not really taking in the environment or anything for that matter, you just walk similarly to a drone without even the slightest hint of interest to what’s happening around you.

The texting habit has also spread to social gatherings as well, with more and more people opting to start texting instead of engaging into conversations happening around them, further isolating themselves from the society at large.

Taking into account that walking while being distracted by texting is very risky, people should at least make an attempt to limit this type of behavior at least when faced with dangerous areas of the city, like roads or crosswalks. In a worst-case scenario, it could lead you to serious injuries or even your death, especially if the driver is busy texting as well.

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