On The Road In Charlotte? Put Your Phone Down.

We have covered the dangers of texting while driving in this blog before, yet not a day goes by where you can drive on any street in North Carolina, or South Carolina, and see someone texting while driving.  And, if they are not texting while actually driving, their face is pressed firmly into their phone at any available opportunity such as a stoplight, traffic jam, or even waiting for traffic to clear in front of them.  If you are looking at your phone, you are not paying attention to what is happening around you.  How many parents lecture their children on not texting and driving, yet that rule does not seem to apply to them.

While we are on the subject of phones and texting, let’s expand the discussion into sending texts, or posting reviews on the Internet of businesses you patronize.  The general rule should be to not text, or post anything that you wouldn’t say in person to the person you are sending it to, or posting about.  Some folks feel that technology, and cell phones in general are responsible for the breakdown of common courtesy, manners, and basic person to person communication.

The reality is that it is real easy to text, or post something negative.  In fact, some would argue that texting, or posting actually encourages this behavior, even when the thing being posted about isn’t even warranted.  How many people actually talk to the person they have the issue with anymore?  How many people talk to the manager, or owner of the business they perceive to have slighted them?  The sad answer is most folks are content to just hide behind the screen of their phone, or computer.

Technology is not going away, but you control your use of it, and not the other way around.  Some studies have compared what happens when parents take away all of their kid’s electronic devices to drug withdrawal.  The symptoms were nearly the same!  So, as impossible as it seems to be able to truly disconnect in today’s world, perhaps it would behoove all of us to try.  Who knows?  We might even meet walking down the street, and have a nice good old-fashioned conversation.

Tippens & Zurosky has knowledgeable, experienced attorneys certified in North Carolina and South Carolina, who focus on workers' compensation and automobile accidents.  Call us toll-free at 877-872-3580, or at 704-343-0018, for a free consultation.  Let us help you!