FEATURE:
Life in the Slow Lane
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Is Digital Music Making Us Less Attentive and Connected?
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I had to check to see whether…
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this report was legitimate or whether it was a joke. As it is October – and it is a way until 1st April -, it is worrying to see something like this come out:
“Two adjacent 75-metre long (247ft) ‘mobile phone safe lanes’ have been installed in central Manchester, after new research by AO-Mobile that found that a staggering 96% of the population say that they have experienced someone walking and not paying attention because they were too busy looking at their phone, in the last 12-months.
Thought to be the first of its kind in Europe, the trial, which is located in the Spinningfields district of the city centre, features a designated pathway for pedestrians to help stop people who walk with their eyes glued to their mobile phones from bumping into each other.
The pavements along Hardman Boulevard – a busy pedestrian thoroughfare surrounded by offices, shops, bars and restaurants, used by tens of thousands of people every week – now has arrows and signs that mark out separate walking lanes on the pavement exclusively for slow-walking smartphone users.
A whopping 75% of Brits say they are guilty of walking and using their phone at the same time, according to the new research.
The rise in so-called “DALAPs” (Distracted As Looking At Phone) and “distracted walking” (a behaviour recognised by The World Health Organisation) is when people walk whilst looking down at their phone in their hand rather than looking where they are going or concentrating on their surroundings – typically because they are instead texting, on social media, reading emails or video calling”.
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We can all identify with a common scenario: walking down the street and having to dodge out of someone’s way because they are on their phone. The lure and addictiveness of technology is getting to a point where we must modify the streets the same way as we would a dual carriageway. Rather than make accommodations for those too distracted to look where they are walking, it would seem better to fine those who are caught staring at their phones. I know most people, when looking down, are texting or on the Internet. I know there are many who are listening to music and, when we have to move out of their way, they are on Spotify or scrolling through a playlist. Like the slow lane idea in Manchester, many might say having a device/audio option that allows you to check the playlist/screen, so you do not need to look down. Even trying to work out how that works is exhausting and probably wouldn’t make a lot of sense. In many ways, we have gone backwards regarding technology and its ease of use. At least when we had a Walkman of iPod, there seemed to be far less distraction and people were listening to albums through. Technology has allowed music to reach so many people and bring happiness to their lives. I am not against people playing music on their phones/using a device, but the fact we cannot seem to tear our eyes away from a screen is a terrible sign. It is not just people checking music whilst moving down the street and walking around.
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When you go on public transport, you see people casting their eyes down or not looking up. It means they are not aware of what is happening around them and, from someone else’s viewpoint, it appears they are being rude. I have written about the Walkman and how its brilliance changed music. I have also argued against the assumption portable music is alienating and rude: rather, it is a way to escape the noise of life and find some peace. I maintain that, yet that theory only stands when people are playing albums through and not endlessly looking down, wobbling down the street as they look for a track or load a playlist. The problem of people bumping int pedestrians is much more common in terms of texting and the Internet. One cannot say music is without blame and, as so many of us play music through our phone and rely so much on screens and visuals, how practical is it listening to music on the go? For sure, one can immerse themselves and take music wherever they go. Having cities like Manchester implement slow and fast lines – to avoid collisions and anger – shows how technology is literally dividing us! In so many ways, music binds us and provides community. Once was the day, we would share music physically and congregate to listen to albums and songs. That still happens but, more and more, we can do all our sharing and experiencing on our own.
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There is a lot to be said for solitude and some privacy regarding music. It seems we have an extreme situation where visual awareness and concentration are second to our phones and technology. This is not new news, but things are getting worse. What is the solution? Listening to music on the move is fine; yet consider where you are and the fact looking away from what is in front of you creates danger for yourself and others. There is also a good argument that we can avoid so many preoccupied listeners if we listened to albums rather than cherry-picked songs. Yes, there would still be a need to glance at the screen, but not so much. There is that conflict between technology allowing us to carry a world of music anyone against the erosion of human contact and, in a lot of cases, common courtesy. I listen to a lot of music on my laptop but, when I am going about my day, I either wait to listen to music or, when I do, have earphones in and stream the radio. As we become a civilisation more dependent on technology and at the mercy of our phones, there are going to be more slow/fast lanes. Unfortunately, a lot of us experience music on phones and tablets. That is fine but, rather than repeatedly stare at a screen, enjoying music without pause or interruption seems best – it avoids clattering into people on the street! Music is a fantastic form of communication; a way of joining us and digging deep into the heart. It is important we have access to music wherever we travel but, at the same time, ensuring that we are…
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KEEPING our eyes peeled.