During The COVID-19 Crisis, Dont Be A Smartphone Zombie! – Forbes

NEW YORK - MAY 12: Road sign designed by artist Jay Shells, reading: "Pay Attention While Walking- ... [+] Your Facebook Update can wait" PHOTOGRAPH BY Laurentiu Garofeanu/Barcroft USA /Barcoft Media via Getty Images

These days we are all being urged to socially distance ourselves. In my experience here in Los Angeles, one of the places with the highest incidence of COVID-19 infections, most people are doing a good job. But there is a big exceptionthe attack of the Smartphone Zombies! The folks who are so absorbed staring into their phones that, even while outside, they are oblivious to what is going on around them.

The rise of this particular form of zombie-ism is well documented. Almost 30% of Americans admit they text while walking and nearly 80% say other people do it. Even in the best of times, its a habit that has caused thousands of accidents. And it seems to be getting worse over time. Up to now, it doesnt seem to have led to a lot of deaths. But with COVID-19 and the imperative of social distancing, the behavior is more dangerous than ever.

Since social distancing is so new, there are no studies on the impact of Smartphone Zombies on our ability to keep to the six-foot rule, so Im just speaking anecdotally here. I allow myself a daily ride on The Ballona Creek bike path, which follows the creek for six miles from the ocean, past the Baldwin Hills to Syd Kronenthal Park in east Culver City. People have mostly been great about not blocking the path and creating congestion. But not so much for those staring at their phones. Yesterday a Smartphone Zombie had stopped in the middle of the bike path. Her bike blocked both lanes of the path while she was absorbed in whatever was on her screen. A man whose nose was firmly planted in his phone was completely unaware that his dog had crossed the bike path so that its leash formed a tripwire. Another parent failed to notice his very young kids had stepped on to the path while he was thumbing away on his phone.

This doesnt just happen on the bike path. The other day, I saw a couple, both with their heads bent down over their devices, fail to yield ground to an elderly woman who looked like she was watching a runaway train bearing down on her. Other Zombies weave like drunks along the sidewalk making it impossible to distance from them.

People dont seem to realize how unaware they are of whats going on around them when they are staring at their phones. I dont normally enjoy video compilations of people hurting or embarrassing themselves, but, just to give a sense of how completely tuned out from the real world people can be while fixated on their phones, Ive included a YouTube video at the bottom of this post of incidents that have to be seen to be believed.

Its time to put the cell phones away while outside. Why on earth would anyone want to spend their limited, precious outdoor time staring at their screens? There is plenty of time to do that indoors, right? Go out and make eye contact with the people you pass (from a respectful two-yard distance of course!) Take the time to feel the sun on your skin, to admire the first blooms of spring, and to be fully present in your environment. Long after the COVID-19 crisis is over we will all be happier people for it.

In fairness, some people might have trouble keeping their phones in their pockets because they are afraid they might miss an urgent text in these scary times. Here is a helpful article: How to Use Do Not Disturb on Your Phone (While Still Letting Important Calls Through). So, except for real emergencies, lets put away our phones while we are outside. Its safer, more considerate, and better for our mental health.

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During The COVID-19 Crisis, Dont Be A Smartphone Zombie! - Forbes

Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero