Texting While Walking

693 Words2 Pages

Is making texting while walking illegal really the only way to prevent people from doing walking distracted? Some people may think that a law to prohibit this type of behavior is unnecessary, however other people believe a law is needed to make people stop this dangerous form of walking. I believe texting while walking should be banned because it is dangerous, has caused many injuries, and our brains cannot do it simultaneously. First, texting while walking is extremely dangerous. When we walk and text concurrently, we are four times more likely to do something life-threatening than someone who is not. For example, distracted walkers may not look before crossing the road. Therefore, there is a higher chance of getting into a car accident …show more content…

The brains we have as humans are unable to focus efficiently on our phones and our surrounding environment simultaneously (Lewis 10). Texting while walking works our brains very hard and could cause headaches . Psychologist David Schwebel at The University of Alabama in Birmingham said,“I think the participants recognized their brain was overloaded and to protect themselves, became more cautious and slowed down to make it safer.” (Whitehead) People that text and walk at the same time tend to slow down and walk in a zigzag pattern. Conrad Earnest, a professional health scientist, noticed that this type of walking closely resembles those who are drunk (Whitehead). Another study has shown that people who text while walking are 61 percent more likely to veer off course than those who do not (Levy). Human brains do not work well when we text and walk at the same …show more content…

One reason may be because it is common sense to not walk distracted so a law is not necessary. However, many people admitted that they would not stop texting while walking unless a law was passed according to Scholastic Scope. In addition, wearing a seatbelt can also be described as common sense, but a lot of people did not put them on until laws were passed (Lewis 11). Another reason may be that putting their phone away reduces their precious phone time. Even if we are losing a short amount of time then, it will further reduce the amount of time people might spend in the hospital due to injuries. The time people spend in the hospital may be days compared to the minutes lost from putting away the cell

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