The Dangers of texting and walking

Is this the new texting and driving?

Are we going to start having public service announcements on the T.V. telling us to not text and walk?

I feel like this is the beginning. I feel like this will happen in the future. 

Fatality due to texting and walking. 

Texting and driving is a big deal. Using your phone while driving had to be banned because it was becoming such an issue, and even with the ban, there are still people who text, search, use social media, and just check their phone while driving.

Especially with texting, it has been a big issue in recent years.

There have also been campaigns on television and radio that demonstrate the horrific accidents that can occur with texting and driving. No post is worth a life. No text is worth a life. No phone call is worth a life. 


BUT WHAT ABOUT TEXTING AND WALKING?



Apparently it is becoming a big deal as well. Utah Valley University has designed a "texting lane" for students. A texting lane. THAT IS CRAZY. It is such a common thing, that there has to be a designated LANE for people texting and walking. I wonder how busy that lane would be. 

We know the risk involved with texting and driving (thought people still do it), but now it might be time to pay attention to the risk of texting and walking. It seems that most people do not see it as an issue, but a lot of people do it. The number is only rising, as more teenagers get cellphones, or even getting cell phones at younger ages!  

It might be a good idea to be careful of this epidemic and be safe about it before it becomes a real problem. 

What do you think?

Are texting lanes the right way to start creating a safer awareness of texting while walking? Should people start viewing this as a problem? 

Privacy: Should schools monitor students social media accounts?

Should School Districts be able to monitor their students' social media accounts?

Is this a safety precaution? Or is this an complete invasion of privacy?

I feel like it is hard to determine what is best in this kind of situation. I believe that it is an invasion of privacy, and what you post on your social media account should not concern your school...in MOST cases. 

There are some times when it could be helpful, such as:

• Monitoring cyberbullying. If an incident is brought up in school, where a kid is being bullied by another student, then I think it is okay to monitor the social media sites to prevent things from continuing. BUT I feel like these incidents have to be brought up in school, and talked to with a councilor or staff member--They should not just lurk on students profiles and suspend a kid because of what they see. It should be talked about beforehand at least.

• Threats to the school or community. If there is a rumor about some threat said by a student that can possibly harm innocent people, this should be checked out. BUT AGAIN, it should be talked about beforehand and they should not jump to conclusions. 

If there is something that would effect the learning and safety of the students, then it should be okay to monitor social media. 

Otherwise, they have no right to act on something they see on a students profile. I know that it is online, and that anyone can see it. As long as the student is asked about something concerning or checked on first before taking action it should be fine. I think social media monitoring needs to be used only when there is a direct connection with the school, and the effect on the students.

Here are some articles that have more information about this topic:

Is this for safety or for snooping?

Should schools monitor social media accounts?

and there is a case where a school hired a former FBI agent

Is that going to far?

Let me know what you think!

Just Google it.

The phrase just reveals the impact that Google has had on everyone. The fact that Google became a verb...I mean that is saying a lot.

We use Google for a lot of things, even things you probably don't realize. We use the search engine to look up spelling, definitions, translations, web pages, directions...the list goes on. We use YouTube to watch tutorials and for entertainment--owned by Google. We use Google Docs for group collaborations on papers and easy sharing. We might use Google Hangout, Google Calendar, G-mail, Google Maps, and so many services that Google provides. I am even writing this blog post on Blogger, which Google owns. 

So, does Google have too much power over our lives?

I don't think so.

Yes, Google is the most well known search engine and most used search engine--but there are alternatives. If the thought of Google controlling you, and scanning your searches in order to target specific ads to you scares you, then use another site!

We still have enough control of ourselves to choose what we want to do and which services to use. Google definitely has an edge to their competitors, and as I mentioned earlier, they were turned into a verb. People don't say "Just Yahoo it" or "Just Bing it." There might be a fear that Google is taking over our lives, but I personally think they're making it easier.

We now have so many services that are connected to one another, which creates easier organization. Also, when Google tailors ads to us based on what we are searching for, it might save us some time looking for specific products--it's a win-win, really.
(Now the Privacy is a different issue)

What do you think? Is Google gaining too much power? Will this abundance of power harm us?

A Blogger Blogging About why Bloggers Blog

Rebecca Blood is a blogger who blogs about why bloggers blog.

Try saying that 10 times fast! 

Now I am going to blog about bloggers blogging about bloggers blogging. Okay...that's enough, I'll get to the point! 
    
In the blog post that I am responding to, Rebecca Blood blogs about Trine-Maria Kristensen. Trine-Maria is the blogger behind Hovedetpaabloggen. This translates from Danish to "Head on the block," or "to dare." 

The thing that stood out to me the most in Rebecca's interview with Trine-Maria was the quote:

“ People from all over the world, forming an open network right there in front of me, speaking to me—even listening to me if I had something intelligent to say. Wow! ”

It's amazing how you can start off reading popular blogs and connecting on so many different levels, and then being able to create your own and form an interconnection with others through your blog posts. Being able to have people respond to what you have to say, to question things, to find what you say interesting--people who you would probably not come in contact with otherwise.

I think that the interconnection in the "Blogosphere" is what makes it so appealing. There are so many things you can learn from sharing your opinions and getting opinions back from others around the world. Blogs are basis for opinions, and do not have to have unbiased information, so it is always a good way to have conversations and challenge ideas. 

Because of blogs, I was able to find out about a Danish blogger and learn things about her that I was not aware of before. Getting into the blog world really opens up a whole different perspective on multiple topics.