Zombiewalking: Walking While Looking At Your Cell Phone

The  zombiewalking  is a practice of walking in the street staring at her cell phone. Giving full attention to the phone can involve certain risks because the pedestrian is not fully aware of his surroundings. Thus,  it can be run over by a vehicle  if it does not pay attention to the signs or enter other pedestrians.

Apps like Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter or Instagram grab the attention of many people when they walk down the street. In addition to the danger that this implies, in the end, we do not notice the environment in which we are moving. And the changes that may occur there.

The dangers of  zombiewalking  for pedestrians

We can very well know the streets of the city in which we live. However,  being a pedestrian requires some attention. The changes that occur in the environment in which we move are usually not rapid. However, these are variations that require action. Falling into the practice of  zombiewalking,  also known under the name of “ distracted walking ” or “ dumb walking ” can also pose a danger to our health.

At the start of the 20th century, with the birth and development of automobiles, an awareness campaign was set up to highlight the dangers that existed with distracted pedestrians. At that time,  they were called the “ jaywalkers ”. The term referred to people who arrived in a large city after living in a rural area. And who were amazed at the buildings. The monuments. Billboards or the flow of people moving.

This partial attention, added to the lack of awareness of the damage that a car could cause, therefore largely increased the risk of accidents. If we return to the present, the news has seen the emergence of  a new kind of distracted pedestrian. The one who falls into  zombiewalking.

Attempts to prevent  zombiewalking

In Spain, several campaigns have been launched to alert pedestrians to the dangers of zombiewalking. As an example, in 2013,  in San Javier, a town in the province of Murcia, a sign was placed alerting pedestrians.

It said: “Watch out, pedestrian. Be careful when you walk. Your WhatsApp can wait ”. In central London, some traffic lights and other signage have been padded  so distracted walkers don’t hurt themselves by bumping into them. Although it may sound strange, many people know about these kinds of small accidents. Indeed, staring at the screen of a phone considerably limits our peripheral vision.

Thousands of miles away  in Taiwan, leaders have come to question whether pedestrians looking at their phones as they cross the street should not be fined. This measure seems a bit rigid. But she could avoid accidents.

Technological measures against  zombiewalking

Today,  there are some applications available to users who try to reduce the risk of  zombiewalking. An interesting example is Transparent Screen, which uses the phone’s camera to simulate a screen transparency effect. Thus, pedestrians can see the street through their cellphones.

The managers of some brands have in fact planned to incorporate these types of applications into their products. These solutions can be fun and effective. But also counterproductive. Why ? Because they make the practice of zombiewalking easier and can make people do it even more.

The best solution is, of course, for  everyone to make a responsible effort by not using their cell phone while walking. This is the only thing that can lower the risk. Do you absolutely need to look at your phone on the street? Stop for a few seconds to do it safely. And without disturbing the rest of the pedestrians.

Our thoughts

So it is often inevitable that we cannot maintain our focus and our activities overlap.