PLE Final
Project
I have always prided myself on being
an exceptional multi-tasker. This made
me believe that I was one of the few, really good drivers, that did not need to
worry about distractions while driving.
In fact, I used to plan on the time I had to be in the car for making my
phone calls for the day. Get my errands
and my list of calls done simultaneously. Wasn’t I being just so efficient? What I realize now is that I have not only
been putting my own life at risk, but also everyone around me.
University of Utah psychologists have
published a study showing that motorists who talk on handheld or hands-free
cellular phones are as impaired as drunk drivers. I was very surprised to find out that this is
the case with hands-free devices. I had
always assumed that it was not the conversation that was the problem, but the
actual playing with the phone that made it dangerous. I was wrong, and the more research I did, the
less I felt I knew!
Convenience
and safety- these are the two main reasons people give for why they have (or “need”)
cell phones. I found this to be very
interesting since my research was about the dangers that come from the “convenience”
of being able to communicate by phone while driving. Since its invention, the telephone has been
seen as a medium to diminish distances and bring people closer together. But is that what the cell phone is doing for
us today?
In Slovakia, “people are using mobile phones
to remotely switch on the heat before they return home,” and in Norway, “1.5
million people can confirm their tax returns using text message.” Paramedics can even use camera phones to send
pictures of the incoming injuries. “More
than ninety percent of cell phone users also report that owning a cell phone
makes them feel safer.” In 2001, the
CTIA noted, “nearly 156,000 wireless emergency service calls were made every
day- about 108 calls per minute.” On September
11th, 2001, many people were able to speak their final words with
their loved ones, because they had their cell phones. “Many people who had never considered owning
a cell phone bought one after September 11th”, with the hopes that
they too would be able to speak their final words if they too ended up being a
part of some future terrorist attack.
A
professor at Rutgers University asked his students to experiment with turning
off their cell phones for 48 hours. One
woman said, “I felt like I was going to get raped if I didn’t have my cell
phone in my hand. I carry it in case I
need to call someone for help.” We are
becoming so dependent on our cell phones; I wonder about how the human race
would survive something like an EMP. I
am also concerned about what it is doing to face-to-face communication. People are now able to have an entire social
network without ever meeting anyone in person.
According to census data, “the percentage of Americans who live alone is
the highest it has ever been in our country’s history, making a return to
genuine sociability and conversation more important than ever.”
While I
am not ready to give up my cell phone completely, I have made the commitment to
myself to never use my cell phone while driving again. The research that I have done has not only
changed the way that I will drive, but also the way that I will
communicate. I had forgotten how
important real, face to face communication is.
Due to work, school, moving, etc, I have found myself spending way too much
time on the phone or in front of a computer.
I have moved across the country and have not met a single friend
yet. It’s time for me to get involved in my new community
and meet some new folks!
