We really need to talk about smartphones. Yes, for anybody who grew up in the pre-internet age, these smart devices will never cease to be awesome. But it’s easy to get a little too much into your phone.
Smart devices are basically distraction devices.
When life is boring, your phone beckons. From social media to watching videos to keeping up with the news to messing around on Reddit, there’s no shortage of stuff online to keep you occupied.
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But here’s the thing…
Everyone gets a little too distracted sometimes. Hopefully the result is a minor faux pas like getting called out for tweeting during family dinner or whatever, but sometimes this smart device-fueled distraction can turn deadly.
Distracted driving is bad news.
Driving can go from boring and predictable to an unexpected situation requiring hair-trigger reflexes in a fraction of a second. Even if it seems safe to check your phone, it probably isn’t because it’ll stop you from reacting to what happens on the road.
The numbers are staggering.
Thousands of Americans die in distracted driving incidents every year, while nearly half a million are injured in a crash involving a distracted driver. This is why most places now have distracted driving laws on the books.
Driving isn’t the only thing affected by phone distraction.
Most of us have used our phones along busy crosswalks, in bad neighborhoods or even while caring for our kids. Usually, it’s fine. But it’s not hard to see how distraction can potentially kill in these situations.
Lifeguards are sounding the alarm.
A German lifeguards’ association has announced a direct link between adults being distracted on their phones and a heightened risk of their children drowning. It’s a plea to parents to not let their phones get in the way of their kids’ safety.
Drowning can happen in an instant.
It can happen without warning, the victim isn’t usually able to make much noise, and the window to save someone who’s having trouble in the water is just a couple of minutes.
Lifeguards aren’t babysitters.
They’re responsible for a whole pool or beach, sometimes full of hundreds of people. “We’re experiencing on a daily basis that people treat swimming pools like a kindergarten and simply don’t pay attention,” said Peter Harzheim, a German lifeguard.
The German lifeguards have seen too much of this.
The warning comes out after more than 300 drownings in just a year throughout Germany. Lifeguards also pointed to a lack of mandatory swimming lessons for schoolkids as another issue.
It isn’t just Germany.
Police in the United Arab Emirates issued a statement after two separate drowning incidents, saying, “Families should not be busy with their smart devices while children are swimming and should avoid filling the swimming pool to the maximum.”
A Texas woman learned this lesson the hard way.
The mom was charged back in 2015 after three of her kids drowned in an apartment pool. Police say she was seen using her phone as her children swam.
Consider yourself the lifeguard.
Remember, lifeguards are responsible for more than just your kid. And if you’re at an unsupervised beach or backyard pool, there won’t be any lifeguards to begin with. So as tempting as your phone might be, it’s best to keep it stashed.
