We have all seen and heard slogans for the ‘don’t text and drive’ campaign, but how often do we hear someone mention texting while walking? I had not realized how widespread this problem was until I did some research and found out that texting while walking is also a big issue in countries such as China and Germany.

Every day I see students on campus walking across the street without paying attention to the oncoming traffic. These students are playing on their phones, talking to friends, or just simply not looking where they are going. This puts both the student and the driver in a dangerous situation. As pedestrians, we need to stay aware of our surroundings and focus on getting to where we need to go instead of concentrating on our cell phones.

Almost everyone I know has a phone, even my grandparents. Neither one of them is technology savvy, so I was quite surprised when I found out that my grandfather learned how to send text messages. Cell phones are widespread, and they are now used for much more than just basic communication. We can use them to check emails, listen to music, play games, and if needed, complete homework assignments. Cell phones are beneficial and can make life easier, but they have also become a big problem because we have grown too attached to them.

“Tens of thousands of pedestrians are treated in emergency rooms across the nation each year…as many as 10 percent of those visits result from accidents involving cell phones.” I’m sure we have all heard stories about someone walking into something or tripping because he or she was on his or her cell phone, and unfortunately, it happened to me. A few years ago, I was walking down the sidewalk after my last class of the day. I used to be worried that I would awkwardly make eye contact with someone, so when I saw somebody heading in my direction, I would pretend to be on my phone. Because I was distracted, I did not notice the uneven sidewalk and fell really hard, which resulted in the scrapping of both my knees. Thankfully, the person that was walking by stopped to help me up and make sure I was okay. After I had to hobble to my car extremely embarrassed with a bruised ego, and new battle wounds, I vowed to never make that mistake again.

I can joke about this accident now because I was not seriously hurt, but some people experience severe injuries. “A teenage girl in New York City fell six feet through an open manhole while texting. She sustained minor injuries but was exposed to raw sewage.” Some people have even lost their lives because they weren't paying attention to where they were going and stepped out in front of a car. Being distracted while walking is not a joke. It is a very serious matter and we need to start treating it as such. No text, email, call, social media update, or Pokémon is worth your safety. Don't let your next step be your last!