Zorba Paster: Put The Phone Down To Prevent Injuries

Walk down the street anywhere in the world and you’ll see people staring at their cell phones. How many times have you almost bumped into them because they’re walking and using the phone?

Walking and reading. Walking and texting. Walking and gaming. Walking and whatever. New research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association looked at the rise in head and neck injuries from this behavior.

Statisticians reviewed 2,500 emergency room visits from 1998 — when cell phone use first started to be ubiquitous — through 2017. Over that time there was a steady rise in injuries. Better screens meant more injuries.

But listen up, there were other factors, too. Pokémon Go produced a huge spike in trauma. This augmented reality mobile game requires players to track animated characters in real-life locations. It’s a modern version of the scavenger hunt, using cell phones to do the tracking too often with a bad outcome.

When people pay more attention to the phone than to their surroundings, it can end up in a visit to the ER. Cuts, abrasions, bruises, internal injuries, trauma to the eye and ear — all awful stuff from staring at the screen while walking.

My spin: We know you shouldn’t text while driving. But using the phone while walking might be nearly as hazardous. Pedestrian deaths are on the rise from both sides of the equation — distracted driving and pedestrian cell phone use stupidity. Think before you pick up that cell phone.