Woman Who Falls into Mall Fountain while Texting Reminds Us to be Wary of the Dreaded Smartphone Addiction

This poor woman forgot one of the golden rules of cellphone usage: It’s okay to text and walk, but you’ve got to be aware of your surroundings when doing so. Due to her poor phone usage judgment, the woe begotten woman takes a plunge into a mall fountain. Embarrassment and laughter (not hers) ensues.

But there’s a lesson to take away from cell phone woman’s misfortune: Addiction to technology can definitely have drawbacks and consequences. And those consequences are illustrated visually with her fall into water.

It might be funny, but next time it doesn’t have to be her. It could be us. Smartphone addiction is a real thing (even though it might not yet be formally accepted as a legitimate medical condition).

This Huffington Post article has a pretty good breakdown on the issue of smartphone addiction:

When asked whether they considered themselves addicted, 28 percent of self-reported smartphone users admitted they were, while 64 percent said they were not. Nine percent were unsure. Women reported smartphone addiction in slightly higher numbers than men.

An obsessive use of smartphones has yet to be formally recognized as a medical disorder, though psychiatrists in Singapore have been pushing for such a classification. But research has shown that people who do not have their smartphones with them become anxious not only because of their separation from online contacts but also out of a fear of losing the device.

Asked if it would bother them if they were unable to use any smartphone or digital device for a day, 10 percent said it would bother them a great deal, 25 percent said a little and 35 percent said very little. Only 28 percent said it would not bother them at all.

What are your thoughts?