Commentary test- Deafness Due To Electronic Devices

1. The central issue raised by the article is that some people, especially youngsters, are so glued to their cell phones, iPods, and other electronic devices that they become oblivious to their surroundings. These people pay too much attention to their entertainment devices, adopting an indifferent attitude, and are a danger to the public and to themselves. This will lead to a higher risk of accidents occurring. The causes for the risk of accidents rising is because the electronic devices will cause reaction time to be reduced significantly and also because these electronic devices act as a distraction to them.

2. Deafness due to electronic devices
Just a week ago, on the way home from school, I was cycling along a particularly busy street. I spotted a teenager in front of me, and started ringing my bicycle bell to signal for him to step aside. However, the teenager did not react in any way. I then realized that he was listening to music on his iPod, and texting messages on his cell phone. In the end, I had to swerve sharply to the side in order to avoid him.

Let’s face facts: The usage of electronic devices by pedestrians is wrong as it can cause accidents to occur. This is because through the use of electronic devices, the reaction time of a person can decrease significantly and the person will be greatly distracted as well.

Firstly, the use of electronic devices such as cell phones and music players can actually reduce a person’s reaction time. For example, the RAC Foundation, a British non-profit organization, found that sending messages while driving simultaneously reduced reaction time by 35 percent. That means that a person sending text messages would take one-third more time to react. Also, in an experiment conducted by the Sunday Times, when thirty pedestrians texting messages were deliberately walked into by reporters, five pedestrians bumped into the reporters, and six dodged them only at the last minute. This shows that their reaction time was reduced due to them being absorbed in their message texting. A reduced reaction time is certainly an open invitation for accidents to occur. In the unfortunate occurrence of an accident, the pedestrian would need to be sharp and alert, and they need to be on their toes to prevent an accident from happening. This decrease in reaction time is no comfort to them as every split second lost in the time they take to react could mean a difference between life and death. Thus, a decrease in reaction time caused by electronic devices would lead to a greater chance of an accident happening, and the use of electronic devices by pedestrians is wrong.

Next, some people might be thinking that the usage of these electronic devices while engaging in another activity is not wrong as they can, in fact, increase alertness and concentration. An example would be the security guards, as, having a rather monotonous job, electronic devices such as music players can help them stay awake and focused. These people claim that electronic devices actually lessen the chances of an accident occurring as they increase a person’s awareness.

However, these people did not realize that these electronic devices actually distract the person instead of helping them to stay alert. It is a widely known fact that noise-cancelling earphones can silence almost hundred percent of ambient noise. This means that the pedestrians will be so engrossed in listening to their music, that they will not take note of their surroundings. The music will also shut out any warnings that people around us might be trying to give, and the person is essentially “deaf”. The Sunday times also conducted another test, in which a bicycle bell was rung behind thirty people listening to music. The results showed that twelve people could not hear the bicycle bell, and failed to get out of the way. This proves beyond any doubt that electronic devices can distract a person to such a point in which they are totally oblivious to their surroundings. Electronic devices serve as a distraction to people, and seem to cut off their senses from the real world, creating a situation in which nothing can get through to them. This creates a dangerous situation in which accidents can occur easily. Thus, the use of electronic devices by pedestrians is wrong as it can cause accidents by distracting people.

In conclusion, the use of electronic devices by pedestrians is wrong as it can cause accidents due to a reduced reaction time of the pedestrians, and because pedestrians are deeply distracted by such devices.

Now, whenever I cycle and encounter someone engrossed in their electronic devices, I do not just cycle past them. Instead, I stop and give them a lesson on safety. Without such inconsiderate behavior from some pedestrians, this world would be an accident-free place.