Clowns, and Other Things Easily Missed While on the Phone

by Kim, October 27, 2009 at 6:00am

Mobile phones have freed us up to do other things while connecting with people...but to what extent have we switched from a few feet of cord to an invisible yet omnipresent tether? A new study by Western Washington University found that people might miss quite a bit of what is going on around them while on a mobile phone. Only 8% of pedestrians spontaneously recalled the clown that had passed them by on a unicycle.

Regardless of your feelings about clowns, this suggests that spending a lot of time talking on the phone might prevent us from truly appreciating life.  Stopping to smell the roses deserves full attention, after all. There is even some research suggesting that some people have become addicted to their mobile phones. So-called "connection junkies" may be so dependent upon the reinforcement that mobile communication provides that our always-on, unlimited-minute culture may keep them permanently distracted from just plain living.

Like anything else, cell phones are a commodity that can either add to, or take away from, life. We've all been stuck in public places with people carrying on very personal conversations for all to hear, and maybe felt a little sad for the person who is oblivious to their surroundings. This loss of personal boundaries is just one symptom that the urge to connect has started to control us instead of the other way around.  Being comfortable with quiet time is one measure of a healthy personality. So lest you miss a chuckle, (or for coulrophobics, lest a creepy clown sneak up on you) keep your cell phone use in balance.