Social Media Addiction Distracts Drivers
Noelyne Paet
Chamberlain College of Nursing

Social Media Addiction Distracts Drivers PR Newswire (2015) reported Abby Slatten, 20-years-old, was allegedly speeding at 85 miles per hour (mph) while scrolling through pictures on her Facebook account via smartphone. Tragically, Slatten plowed into another car that killed another driver who was at the elderly age of 89-years-old. The elderly victim could have been someones parent, friend, or sibling who did not deserve a fatal ending to their life. A similar story, involved a young 34-year-old woman who received a prison sentencing of 10 years with a $25,000 fine for sending a text message while driving that could not wait, in result, crashed and killed her daughter and two nieces all who were in the same car. That women will serve her sentencing but will never be able to bring back her loved ones back from the accident. The constant reminders of roadway accidents ending in tragedy, such as those police reports, are widely spread across our nation. All tragic stories are disheartening to hear and think about; a reminder to play our part in keeping our roads safer. Tragedy may effect your next door neighbor or a stranger in the local supermarket; no matter who we are or what our background is tragedy exist and does not discriminate against anyone. People can make a difference to their daily living. There are those small percentage of people who has a habit that is difficult to break. For example, the habit of their constant smartphone use plays a major role in contributing to the dangers on our roadways. Inevitably our culture lives in the age of technology. Everywhere you look, everyone you hear are reaping the benefits from social networking which is healthy to so many socialites. Social networking connects to a wide range of groups from one friend to another or one corporation to another. Because social networking is mixed with the act of driving it produces a dilemma that is endangering lives and becoming a dangerous habit to break. The rise of social media addiction is distracting drivers so they need to practice self-control; therefore, stricter laws should be made to reduce traffic fatalities. Effects of distracted driving Distracted drivers need to maintain their urge of keeping their hands off of their smartphones. Many people inhibit addictions in a variety of areas such as: alcohol use, food dependency, or drug abuse; however, the use of social media is on the rise that it is creating a whole new world of internet addiction (IA). The reality is that people are not aware of an occurring addiction, maybe a sickness, or don’t want to admit to a problem possibly of pride or just being oblivious. Wu, Lee, Liao, and Chang (2015) researched at the National Taiwan University College of Medicine and Taiwan Suicide Prevention Center, the background of IA. The researchers has noted “Internet addiction is defined as a pathological pattern of internet use and the user cannot self-control the use of internet.” IA does not happen overnight but in comparison to other addictions it must be gradually and consistently created to eventually become an uncontrollable infatuation that will spiral out of control. Social networking is a type of internet activity that proposes itself as an addiction, IA, it effects drivers who inhibit IA characteristics by which will impair their judgements and adds on a problem while multitasking when driving. PR Newswire (2015) reported “higher number of social media distraction related crashes being reported.” Therefore, tragedy can strike instantaneously to those who ignore the danger signs. Another leading cause of driving distracted is that it has been creating a rise in traffic fatalities on our roadways. Chung et al. (2015) studied to target neural brain activity by using a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) compatible driving stimulator via driving only (DO), and driving with task (DWT). The study demonstrated how the brain is being stimulated to those of distracted driving and vice versa by which is directed under a scientific level with the use of MRI. “An MRI can also be used to observe and measure dynamic physiological changes inside a patient without cutting into or penetrating the body. To produce an image, an MRI machine uses a powerful magnet to generate a magnetic field” (“MRI,” n.d). The portion of the brain that’s targeted focused on a person’s spatial attention and perception, visual and auditory processing are all important to a driver whom is focusing behind the wheel. The study had concluded that DWT, like using a smartphone, proved to obstruct and decrease the drivers information processing portion in the brain, in tun, will highly likely to cause faulty actions. In comparison to driving with distractions and with a driver with no distractions is that the brain activity is the same. Therefore, drivers need to give their one-hundred percent behind the wheel, if not, their focus is diverted to their distraction and not their driving because the brain will not keep up with all the multitasking occurring at once. Driving with a task or distracted driving means to take on another activity that will take away the attention from the roadways. It takes a second of looking away from the road for an accident to occur. There are different types of activities that distract drivers such as smartphone use, texting and social networking, changing radio stations, eating and drinking, and passenger distractions, such as children. Any type of those distractions occurring behind the wheel are detrimental to the safety of the driver and to those around that could result to another statistic of traffic fatalities. Solutions to prevent distractions The most suitable plan to use to help solve the problem of drivers who are browsing through social networking sites is to reform laws by passing stricter laws, such as higher fees and harsher penalties, when charged for smartphone use. As equally important, in order for drivers to avoid breaking the laws is to control their urge in wanting to browse through their smartphones. The art of teaching and practicing self-control will put a stop in adding more tasks to their driving. To have the frame of mind of self-control while behind the wheel will help to reduce the increasing rates of traffic fatalities. Many people would say it may sound easy to control urges but bad habits are hard to break. To break a bad habit it takes commitment and practice over a period of time with mishaps along the way but that makes us human. An individual could learn to break a bad habit, such as distracted driving, by learning the hard way. A hard lesson could be learned through a loved one who is a distracted driver and gets killed or accidentally kills an innocent person on the streets. Tragic stories are an eye opener but could be the only way to teach a life lesson that causes others to react and make a change to their choices when going behind the wheel. Drivers who commit to control their urge in wanting to browse through their social media via smartphone will save thousands of lives and their own. The act of self-discipline is the better solution that’ll help supplement phone banning laws which will decrease the rates of traffic fatalities and casualties. Several states that have passed phone banning laws may be effective but not effective enough because many drivers disregard the important facts behind these laws and breaks it with no guilt or reconsideration. In result, “96% of respondents knew it was against the law but continue to text and drive anyway” (Quisenberry, 2014, p. 303). Imagine yourself as the most safest driver you could know and put yourself on these roadways with one of many irresponsible drivers who disregards the safety measure of going behind the wheel. As a consequence you find yourself side by side to the irresponsible driver on a 25 mph or 65 mph road. What are the odds of anything fatal occurring that day? No one knows the outcome of our future but we can control how it may be. There are many advocates who promote the importance of safe driving that involves many billboards, commercials, and campaigns in hopes of reaching out to the public to save at least one life. By saving one life at a time we can spread the word and infect the minds of everyday people to gain the knowledge and remind them of the dangers of distracted driving. Quisenberry (as cited in CDC, 2013) stated “estimated more than 9 people are killed everyday in the United States and 1,060 more are injured in crashed that are reported to involve a distracted driver.” With that said, I want to share with you why the act of self-discipline will continue to be successful in keeping our roadways safe and reduce traffic fatalities. Firstly, the act of self-discipline needs to be taught to young drivers who can transform their bad habits early on or to not create new bad habits which is detrimental to the learning process. The learning process will be taught in a classroom setting or private teachings from home. A habit is defined as “an acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary” (“habit,” n.d). If a young, new driver does not acquire the behavior over a period of time then the dangers of picking up “bad” behaviors, such as picking up a smartphone while driving, along the way. Of course people’s habits are set to a minimum or they are too afraid to want to pick up a bad habit. Young drivers may become an advocate to other drivers who will promote good habits. However, many young new drivers could pick up bad habits from their driving instructors, for example family or friends, or whomever is helping the new driver to succeed in earning their driver’s license. According to Quisenberry (2014) suggested to prove that texting and driving is claimed to be defined as the ‘General Theory of Crime’ in means of the actions of self-control because “young drivers engage in illegal and potential life-threatening behavior.” The theory of self-control is habit acquired through out the years and beneficial to our lives especially driving and having a smartphone present in the vehicle. Secondly, the reduction of traffic fatalities will continue to drop with the help of reforming state laws to either make the penalties harsher and/or to add more states to the existing list of smartphone ban laws. Not all of the states in America are participating against phone use while driving, such as Montana, South Carolina, and Florida. The Department of Motor Vehicle (2016) notes some of the penalties vary in the level of punishments from a $25 fine (Alabama) to $750 fine plus 90 days in prison (Utah) to a $10,000 fine and one year in prison (Alaska). Many of these states have their own way on how they declare what their crime and punishments are. The most important is that these states would enforce stricter laws so more Americans will be afraid and definitely want to abide by the proposed laws. These laws are put in place for a reason and its given consequences are fair. In 2009, a reported amount of 416,000 people were involved in a motor vehicle accident (MVA) with a distracted driver who was either to blame or the injured individual was the distracted driver at the time (Ferdinand et al., 2015, p. 859). In conjunction to the legislatures across the nation passing laws and the media using catchy faddish slogans such as those drinking and driving laws to “arrive alive” or seat belt laws “click it or click it”. A few of these laws that were passed had proven to decrease its traffic fatality rates and saved lives; demonstrates that people are listening and encouraged. According to Ferdinand et al. (2015) noted to demonstrate the outcome of states text banning that relates to MVA related to hospitalizations. The study isolated two main findings that were relevant to the contributors to decrease MVA in hospitals. First, the states that passed text ban laws reported a decrease in motor vehicle accidents in contrast to states that did not pass the laws. Second, states that passed text ban laws reported that it MVA effected adult-aged drivers less compared to younger-aged drivers. One possible outcome to help young-aged drivers to decrease their MVA hospitalizations is to continue to educate about texting laws. The authors gathered their data through Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) “estimates the effects of state motor vehicle laws on hospital admissions.” Issue against the solution On the contrary, many researchers and drivers would argue that multitasking and driving is not a problem and it is achievable. Studies show that our brain has limits that it can’t be overloaded with too many tasks to do at the same time. However, experienced drivers or any level of driver would refute and believe they do not have a problem with multitasking while driving. Mississippi State University researchers, Teena Garrison and Carrick Williams (2013) thoroughly studied the effects of distracted driving on a cognitive level. The study observed 20 participants who were experienced drivers, for one week, via driving stimulation and monitors the eye movements while encountering hazards and distractions on the stimulated roadways with the same effects of real roadways. The participants were tested twice under no distraction driving and with distracting driving to compare and contrast the outcome of the two. “Experienced drivers continued to respond to potential hazards by looking at them, slowing down, steering away from the hazard, etc, and their responses may be impacted by distraction.” Inevitably many potential hazards are present on the roadways that can be easily avoided, unless, while the driver is being distracted at that moment and takes their eyes away from the road the hazards will be easily missed then an accident happens. Conclusion Come one, come all! Let us make the smartest decision by making a difference in this world. Let us stop the addiction of social networking that is leading to an uprising epidemic of distracted driving. It is deeper than to just follow the laws, but we will help one another by saving a life. We do not need to continue to tear families apart or destroy lives because of a bad choice that could have been prevented. Contact me at paet.saveslives@gmail.com if you want further information. You can make a pledge to act on self-control to drive safely and and pledge to stop browsing through your smartphone until it is safe to do so. You will not regret this life saving decision. It can wait, be roadway safe. I propose that stricter laws will benefit in decreasing traffic fatalities and practicing self-control in using their smartphones while driving. Smartphones makes life easier and unconsciously create bad habits. The humanistic urges of wanting to reap the benefits of social networking can become an addicting habit. The addictive measures of taking it to our roadways is a deadly combination. Therefore, drivers can make a choice to control their actions, if not, bad choices will be made and families destroyed.

References Distracted Driving. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/Motorvehiclesafety/Distracted_ Driving/index.html Distracted Driving Penalties In The US. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.dmv.com/distracted driving-penalties
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