The results of our online survey showed that there are several reasons that young people use their phones or listen to music whilst they walk. There were 50 respondents in total between the ages of 16 and 25, all of whom chose at least one of the following reasons:
Passing time: 25.45%
Entertainment: 22.7%
Boredom: 17.27%
Convenience: 17.27%
Escapism: 9.09%
Loneliness: 8.18%
Not a single respondent selected 'other'. It's fair to say that this means young walkers crave some kind of distraction as they walk, that simply walking and being aware of their surroundings isn't stimulating enough. However it is possible that some of these walkers are being over-stimulated by their use of technology and may mean that the road does not get enough of their attention.
Hello beth, you are right to address this as an important issue. I work with young people on a day-to-day basis and they are constantly plugged in to their ipods or talking and texting on their mobile phones. It’s hard enough to try and have a face-to-face conversation with young people nowadays, so how can we expect them to cross the road safely? The survey results you gained are really interesting. There seems to be many reasons as to why young people feel the need to listen to their music or talk and text on their mobile phones. Young people are almost in their own little world these days, oblivious to their surroundings leaving them vulnerable to road incidents. More needs to be done to raise awareness of this issue before more young people lose their lives.
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