Wonders they say never ceases, so is the case with a velocity alert from mashable.com that I received earlier today with the caption: Distracted by Facebook, Woman Falls Off Pier
I shudder when I read stuff like this, how on earth can someone get so hooked on Social Media that she would rather be hurt or die than to let go? Luckily for her she survived because she was rescued on time but here is another intriguing part of the story, according to local policy
“She kept hold of her mobile phone throughout the entire ordeal,” local police wrote in a statement.”
Now can you imagine someone drowning, unable to swim but yet held unto her phone as if her life depended on it? This is another sad way people allow technology to destroy their lives which defeats the very essence. What would be the use and value of facebook if Mark Z. designed and developed it for no good purpose other than to kill? So would you call this madness or foolishness?
Recently, I was in traffic and a woman who was driving next to us had both her phone and iPad on her laps, operating both of them while driving – I got a clear view of her because I wasn’t the one driving. I marvelled because she did not even bother about the fact that she was carrying her daughter who was not using seat belt, I suppose she assumed tha because we were in traffic therefore it was safe to use her devices while driving. How wrong can that assumption be?
As far as I am concerned anything can happen in such a situation whether traffic or not, that is why we must all be careful when using technology whether software or hardware. Abuse is inevitable when we do not draw the lines. In the case of my country where a lot is attributed to supernatural forces more than carelessness, foolishness, insanity, indiscipline and stupidity. I call on folks out there including those who drive to be mindful of how they use technology and desist from using devices when driving because prevention is always better than cure.
Thankfully the woman who prompted this post is alive and I hope she has learnt a great lesson from this near death experience?
What do you think? Share it in the comments.
Creative Commons Courtesy : Vít ‘tasuki’ Brunner
Thanks Agbata,
Very nice and informative post. The collection of words and knowledge seems good.