Power, and Danger, at Our Fingertips
The mini- computers we carry around in our pockets are blamed for all sorts of societal ills, including the coarsening of public debate, texting while driving and the death of the elevator conversation. Parents face the question of when to let their children in on all the fun.
“Many experts would say it’s about 13, but the more practical answer is when they need one: when they’re outside your direct supervision,” Scott Steinberg, co-author of “The Modern Parent’s Guide to Facebook and Social Networks,” told The Times.
But for older kids, who can be asked to send, or share, an inappropriate image, the perils are serious. Parents are urged to offer their children guidance, and Mr. Steinberg advises setting rules that govern when devices may be used, and what is permissible online activity. Some policies can apply to all, such as not using phones at meals or turning off devices an hour before bedtime.
But it’s not just children who need limits put on their use of gadgets, and cities in the United States and Europe have begun to address the dangers of walking and texting.
Honolulu passed a law that went into effect Wednesday calling for fines of up to $35 for pedestrians who view their devices while crossing streets, The Times reported.
Pedestrian deaths in the United States in 2016 rose to 5,987, up 9 percent from the year before, the highest toll since 1990. A safety group blamed a rise in smartphone use, “a frequent source of mental and visual distraction.”
Bodegraven, a town near Amsterdam, has embedded LED-illuminated strips in a busy intersection’s crosswalk — where people staring at phones will see them. When the lights turn red or green, so do the LED strips, alerting pedestrians that it’s safe to cross.
San Mateo County, in California, passed a resolution last month prohibiting pedestrians from using cellphones while crossing streets. David Canepa, who introduced the measure, said though it did not have the weight of law, he hoped it would push the state to act.
“There is chaos in the crosswalks,” Mr. Canepa told The Times. He admits to a few close calls with distracted driving and walking himself. “I know it’s an issue. I’ve lived it. My cellphone is my life.”
Life without a smartphone may be unthinkable to some, but The Times business columnist James Stewart proved it is possible during a recent 10- day sojourn to Europe. His phone died just before his flight took off from America, and he decided to do without.
The criticisms of the big internet companies — for invading privacy, carrying fake news and spreading hate messages — are legitimate, but without them life is a challenge. Mr. Stewart wrote: “What I learned is that, for better or worse, they have already so changed the world that life without them is all but impossible outside a monastery.”
Road maps are not for sale in stores, since everyone assumes drivers have Google maps. Asking for directions proved unreliable. The rental car agent in Milan gave Mr. Stewart directions to Siena via Genoa, a route that added two hours to the trip.
People who don’t have phones find they are outliers, “and infrastructure is designed with the knowledge that almost everyone does,” Adam Alter, an associate professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business, told The Times. “You’re borderline forced to carry one for basic utility even if you’d prefer not to.”
Without web access, Mr. Stewart was unable to check sites like TripAdvisor. But he made wonderful discoveries and did not have to rate them online. Old guidebooks at the house he stayed in were useful.
“Major historic sites, tourist attractions and even restaurants,” he wrote, “don’t change much in a place like Italy.”