Pros and Cons of Texting While Driving

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Pros and Cons of Texting While Driving

In modern society, we are no longer tethered to our home phones. In the majority of households, each member has their own cellular phone, making them easy to reach at all times. Keeping up with your family and friends has never been simpler, but while there are several advantages to this approach, there are also numerous drawbacks.

Texting while driving has inspired much debate, with some touting its convenience, as others bring up the dangers and downsides. Since people as a whole are only becoming more reliant on their cell phones as time passes, the time has come to take an look at the pros and cons of texting while operating a motor vehicle.

List of Pros of Texting While Driving

1. Convenience Factor.
Let’s say you have plans to meet up with a good friend of yours, but they need to be changed, for any number of reasons. If a person is already en route to the site and they are unable to send you a text message, then there is no way for you to learn about the change in plans. When a person is busy or driving and has one thing that they need to let you know about quickly, a text message is the best way to go about doing so.

This allows the person who is driving to get their point across quickly and maintain their focus on the road ahead of them. And it also allows the person who is receiving the text message to adjust their plans accordingly.

2. Avoiding Lengthy Phone Conversations.
Not only is talking on the phone while driving illegal in the majority of states, but it is also cumbersome to a driver. After a long day, the last thing a person wants to do is get behind the wheel of a car, let alone have a long, discussion about whatever is on the other person’s mind. Texting while driving lets them have the conversation, without the same time investment.

When you can have a conversation over text message while driving, it is a great way to consolidate time or waste a few moments while you are stuck in traffic. Rather than having an phone conversation, the driver is able to have their conversation without being forced to sacrifice their precious free time.

3. More Well Thought Out Communication.
A hidden benefit to texting while driving is its ability to give you the time you need to formulate messages that are well thought out. When you are talking on the phone, it can be tough to think on your feet and come up with the right things to say. There are certain conversations that require much more thought than others, so having a moment to compose yourself being responding is great.

During the early stages of a friendship, texting is often best, because it gives a people a chance to get to know one another in a low stakes environment. It is much easier for a person to showcase their true personality in a text message, because they have the time to gather their thoughts and say exactly what they want to say.

List of Cons of Texting While Driving

1. Unnecessary Distraction.
Anyone who has watched television for more than five minutes in the last two or three years has undoubtedly either seen a commercial that shows the gruesome consequences of texting while driving or seen a news story that spoke about a person who lost their life because of a text message that simply could not wait.

Texting while driving is not something that should be done under most circumstances, as a person should be giving their full attention and focus to the road in front of them, not the phone in their hand. Texting should not ever be the main priority in a person’s life and there are a number of instances where the person should put their phone down and wait for the proper moment to send that all important text to a friend.

2. Encourages Poor Habits.
Once a person gets used to texting while driving, there is no telling where it will stop. One of the biggest problems with the technological advances that are being made is that it is turning people who used to be thoughtful and caring about the world around them into zombies. When you are constantly staring into a phone, you are bound to miss out on the little things in life.

Texting while driving does not encourage a person to care about their surroundings and fosters a sense of detachment from the world at large. Constantly waiting for that next text to come rolling in is no way to live.

3. Diminished Ability To Enjoy Life.
Life is not always entertaining. But with the advent of smart phones, people are now discovering way to keep themselves amused constantly, which is not healthy. There are moments in life that are sad, boring or simply indifferent. When you do not give yourself a chance to appreciate the slower periods in life, you are not able to appreciate the good times as much.

People who become accustomed to texting while driving find it much more difficult to associate with their peers without the use of a phone. As a result, the ability to enjoy life and carry on conversation in person is completely and totally diminished. Putting down the phone for a few minutes each day does wonders for your communication skills.