Social media is bringing the world together like never before, providing an unparalleled platform for global interaction. One of the many positive effects of this technological evolution is that people are connecting in ways not possible a generation ago. One of the many negative effects is that this around-the-clock obsession with social engagement is leading to a growing culture of bad driving habits, including those that could lead to injury or death.
Driving while under the influence of social media
We?re supposed to keep our eyes on the road while driving, avoiding such behaviors as fiddling with the infotainment system, applying makeup or buttering a bagel. Notably, each of these tasks falls under the ?distracted driving? umbrella, which leads to more than 3,000 deaths each year, according to the federal government. Perhaps the most egregious type of distractions, and those gaining the most momentum in recent years, are behaviors related to social media. Indeed, recent research from AT&T reveals that nearly four in 10 smartphone users engage in social media while driving.
Facebook is the most common application used while driving (one-quarter of people polled fessed up to it), while one in seven admit to using Twitter while behind the wheel.
If we haven?t done it ourselves, we?ve witnessed someone who has: reading Facebook updates while in motion, tweeting about traffic conditions, sharing photos on Snapchat, posting a sunset photo to Instagram, taking a ?car sel...