Deaf to the World

1) Summary of article: Deaf to the world - Youngsters absorbed in their cellphones or music players face greater risk of accidents on the road

The article raises the issue that many youngsters are often engrossed in their cellphones and absorbed in music from earphones when they are walking on the street or crossing the road. This is worrying as it causes a great risk for road accidents to occur. A study showed that many youngsters who were engrossed in their phones and music were unaware of pedestrians around them and most youngsters feel that this behaviour is justifiable.

2) Commentary

Is it OK to live in Phones and Music?

When one walks along the busy roads of the shopping district nowadays, he can never fail to notice the large crowd of youngsters, dressed in the newest fashion and sporting unique hairstyles. Also, one will notice that the ears and eyes of most of these youngsters are deaf and blind to the outside world - earphones are blasting music in their ears and their eyes are glued to the handphones in their palms.

Is this behaviour justfiable?

I am a fifteen year-old, no stranger to this world of electronic gadgets. When I board the bus or the MRT, my ears are almost always plugged with my noise-cancelling head phones and my eyes will always be staring at the screen on my handphone. I do this because of the boredom I experience on the train, and because music and handphone games effectively reduce my stress level after a long day in school. Thus, I naturally feel that there are reasons to support the constant use of electronic devices in youngsters.

However, I feel that continuing the use of devices when one is crossing the road or walking on a busy street is going overboard. My reason is simple - electronic devices distract the user. This distraction caused does not allow youngsters to concentrate on what they are doing, which can pose serious dangers to both the users and people around them. In the case of crossing the road, this problem is even more significant, as there is a posibility of fatality resulting from this ignorance to one's surroundings. The Automible Association of Singapore has found that using handheld electronic devices is a major cause of road accidents and the RAC Foundation has found that sending messages reduced reaction time by 35 percent.

In a study conducted by The Straits Times, a student who was listening to headphones felt that cars should take the responsibility of looking out for pedestrains who were engrossed in electronic devices and there was nothing wrong with listening to music while crossing the road. I disagree with this student, as I feel that he must understand that roads are for cars to travel on and pedestrains are the ones who should be looking out for cars when crossing the road. This disregard to safety poses a serious concern.

When one is walking on the street, the danger of accidents occuring is also very real. Of 30 pedestrians listening to music, 12 people failed to notice a bicycle behind them even though a bell was sounded. It was also observed that 24 people had their music players at a very high volume which did not allow them to hear sounds in their environment. Some youngsters interviewed said that they have almost been knocked down by bicycles before, but are undeterred because "music sets the mood" and what they do is already a habit. This lack of concern for their own safety cannot be justified. This behaviour is also inconsiderate, as other pedestrians can be hurt by the accidents caused by these youngsters.

In conclusion, this trend of youngsters being absorbed in their electronic devices is very worrying and this behaviour cannot be justified, as their actions pose considerable danger to themselves and the people around them. However, many youngsters still remain undeterred, which clearly shows their ignorance and immaturity. Being deaf to the world should definitely be discouraged.