Highways fatalities up 22%. Our smartphone addiction is a big reason why

Re:Highways fatalities up 22%. Our smartphone addiction is a... by jcpsimmons on Wednesday March 15, 2023 @09:07PM (#35176894)

The less-comfortable reason is that concern for others’ wellbeing is at an all time low. I regularly see outright aggressive driving, ESPECIALLY when I’m in California. People are stressed and they are taking it out on strangers.

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Re:Highways fatalities up 22%. Our smartphone addiction is a... by lisasays on Wednesday March 15, 2023 @09:57PM (#35177232)

The less-comfortable reason is that concern for others’ wellbeing is at an all time low.

Driven in turn by a lack of empathy, and a sense of feeling interconnected with others. As fueled, in turn, by smartphones.

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Re:Highways fatalities up 22%. Our smartphone addiction is a... by btbuildem on Wednesday March 15, 2023 @11:59PM (#35177994)

This is absolutely it. We've become desocialized, and the kind of callous assholery that usually goes on online has leaked into the real world.

I routinely witness people brazenly running red lights, and my instinct is to throw bricks at them -- so how am I not part of the problem?

I don't really know how we back away from this.

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Re:Highways fatalities up 22%. Our smartphone addiction is a... by alphabettsy on Thursday March 16, 2023 @12:43AM (#35178208)

We’ve begun electing the people who used to be trolls to leads our communities.

Road rage and aggressive driving aren’t new though. Neither is antisocial behavior on the roads or otherwise. Is there actually more of it?

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Re:Highways fatalities up 22%. Our smartphone addiction is a... by joshcsimmons on Thursday March 16, 2023 @10:29AM (#35182444)

Getting angry when people flagrantly ignore the rules that keep us safe is NOT part of the problem.

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