Texting and Walking

After finishing my creative non-fiction essay in my pjs on the couch tonight, I was watching ABC news and one of their stories was called Texting and Walking. After showing footage of the woman splashing into the water fountain at the Berkshire Mall, they went into their story and showed a study they conducted. I thought it was soo interesting that something that happened so close to school was on the news. They had a lady on the side walk holding a sign that said "Wave if you're texting." They recorded that more than half the people didn't notice the sign and that they were too consumed in their text messages. What is wrong with the world! I absolutely hate when im walking in between classes and someone is texting and not paying attention. Even worse when someone bumps into you because they are texting. I think it is sad that we can't pick up the phone anymore to have a conversation. One time when I was leaving lytle to walk to defran, someone wasn't paying attention and completely bumped into me and stepped on my foot. I was so angry but I'm a shy person and just said its okay and continued walking. Another place people text is at the bar. I went to dollar drinks last night and noticed how many people were on their cells phones. If you are out with your friends and their are other people around, why do you think that it is necessary to sit at the bar and text the whole time? If you ever sit in the AF during a big lunch time, you will see two people sitting at the same table both on their phones not saying a word to one another but texting someone instead of talking to the person right in front of them. I feel that it is sad what the world has come to.The woman who was caught on tape texting and walking that fell into the water fountain is just one example of why this activity is dangerous. She could have been walking on the sidewalk and walked into traffic. I'm not putting texting down because I text all the time, but i do think that there is a time and a place for it and texting while walking is definately not one of them. I loved that ABC news covered a story about it because it makes me feel better to know that I am not the only person who hates getting bumped into from someone who is texting. They did a study and only 12% of people said they engaged in this activity, but i really feel like more people do it. I think if they surveyed a college campus the number would definately be higher. In any case, texting while walking is inconsiderate to the people around you and I think that it can wait.

Irony at its Best

I've experienced irony at its best and after careful consideration, I've decided to blog about it.Yesterday, after leaving our class, I followed my normal Tuesday ritual. I grabbed a snack, rode the shuttle back to Golden Bear, checked my facebook and my email, then started my homework. I left my facebook page minimized and started to work on my query letter. (another example of a distraction) A new message popped up from an old friend I haven't talked to in a while. She has messaged me to see how I was and finally said "I have something to tell you and I wanted you to hear it from me and not someone else." Immediately my heart started racing and I started thinking the worst. Then, her next message popped  up that said "I'm having a baby." After a sigh of relief that it wasn't the worst, I didn't know what to say except oh my god. I literally sat at the computer screen, staring blankly, unsure of what to say. A close friend, 20 years old, who has just moved to New York, has gotten pregnant. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to say congratulations or I'm sorry, which relates to our discussion in class yesterday. I couldn't believe that we had just had this long discussion about teen pregnancy and acceptance in our society versus acceptance from the 60's and now my friend was telling me she is pregnant. I thought it was kinda cool that I could relate a class discussion to my real life situation within a matter of two hours. I started thinking about the story 'shunned' and how the girl had no options and no one wanted to help her. I kept thinking about the time period and how things have changed drastically and how people are more accepting now than they were back then. There's TV shows like teen mom and 16 & pregnant that highlight the struggles that teen moms face. If that's not acceptance in this time period I don't know what is. I think it sucks for the older generation that had to deal with being shunned in their communities and I can't imagine how hard it must have been for Meredith to be secluded from everyone including her own family. I feel bad that she had to go through all of that, but it also makes me happy that she has overcome those struggles in order to live a happy and successful life. The difference between that time period and now are vast. My friends parents and her boyfriends parents are overjoyed and could not be happier to help them out. They are accepting and supportive of the new baby into both of their families. I think that it is interesting to know they are supportive and that everyone including my two friends are excited. They are so young and both in college and to me seems like they are throwing away their future because they weren't careful, but at the same time I'm also happy that they aren't shunned in their families (although its probably not acceptable in our community) such like Meredith was in her story.

Google Cars

Well, the first week of class while brainstorming ideas for our topics, we discussed the new invention of Google Cars. Yesterday, in one of my other classes, the topic came up again. I think within the next few years we will see these cars on the roads and highways. Very scary thought! Even scarier to think that they drive themselves, while the "driver" could be doing something else, such as texting, eating, reading, you name it. Another DISTRACTION that has been added to our society. These cars drive for you and park and maneuver through traffic even on the busiest days. What happens when a child runs out into the street, does the car know how to break!? The "driver" could be reading or texting and definitely not paying attention. This new technology is a scary thought, but supposedly seven cars have been tested driving 1,000 miles without human interaction. I personally don't agree with this technology because computer systems go awry and what happens when the computer inside the car decides to freeze and then the human in the car isn't paying attention because they are too distracted. The whole idea is a great break through for technology, but I just don't think it is a reasonable idea with the way computer systems fail.


I decided that I wanted to know more information, having the topic being brought up in more than one class. I ironically googled it and a new york times article came up. ( I will post at the bottom) Having read the article, the google car is not 100% ready for mass production any time soon which is a big relief. The article states, "The car can be programmed for different driving personalities — from cautious, in which it is more likely to yield to another car, to aggressive, where it is more likely to go first."  That is insane! The car knows how to drive because of a computer operated system and can tell you personalities. I honestly am scared to see what comes of this idea.


I really hope I am not the only one troubled by this idea. It is sad to think that the world is coming to this. First, we had computers, then cell phones. then e readers, and now a car that drives for you?! I can only imagine how much the death rate will go through the roof if these cars are ever mass produced. It is a really horrific thought. People don't talk on a phone or know how to communicate anymore because of the texting generation, what is going to happen when people don't drive anymore because of the google car era. Is America becoming somewhat of a robot culture? Do we really want to become such 'robots' or do we want to keep learning and growing in knowledge so that we present ourselves as literate people? The future is in question, but for now we can all start to think about what our lives will be like once technology takes over for good.




New York Times article - http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/10/science/10google.html