Distracted Walking – A Real Danger!

The Hillsdale Daily News (a Branch County, Michigan newspaper) recently published an article highlighting the real danger of distracted walking.

This issue may seem silly, but with more and more people connected to a mobile device, this issue is actually very real.  It is especially dangerous for tweens and teens who tend to lack the executive function skills required for walking and doing something else at the same time, in this case walking and talking on or looking at a phone.

The article warns parents who give their children phones to make sure they reinforce good use habits.  Most parents cover basic use rules which tend to include amount of data used, which sites are accessed, what they are posting to social media, and who they are communicating with and how often.  But many parents fail to also talk to their kids about the dangers of distracted walking.

When out walking, kids need to be mindful of their surroundings at all times – to avoid becoming victims of all types of dangers.  This is why it is so important to discuss distracted walking, so kids are walking with their head up and are aware of crossing the street, oncoming traffic, crosswalks, railroad crossings, and any strangers that may be approaching.