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Distracted Cell Phone Users Aren't a New Phenomenon

by Tim Stevens on December 13, 2008 at 08:10 AM

Distracted Cell Phone Users Aren't a New PhoenomenonWe have plenty of distractions these days, not the least of which being our cell phones. The things can do just about anything your home computer can, and so they can be rather engrossing. We've seen how they've caused car accidents, and even resulted in multiple people walking into the paths of oncoming trains. But, according to a University of Virginia professor, the practice is certainly nothing new.

Peter Norton is the author of 'Fighting Traffic: The Dawn of the Motor Age in the American City.' He indicates that the so-called "textlemmings" are just the most recent version of people getting lost thanks to some form of modern distraction:
Every time you introduce a new technology, we have to figure out how it fits into the existing technological structure ... Today it's texting. A century ago it was reading books while crossing the street in traffic. Norton has several cartoons that illustrate that very subject - pedestrians with noses buried in books stepping in front of angry motorists.
However, while this practice may not be new, it's still dangerous. So, make sure you at least put down the cell phone when crossing the street -- and don't forget to look both ways! [From: textually.org]

Tags: cell phones, CellPhones, driving while texting, DrivingWhileTexting, text, texting, textlemming

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