LOCALadk Magazine

54 Spring 2016 LOCALadk Magazine LOCALadk One of my greatest pleasures is enjoying the Adirondack Park, with its endless natural beauty. It is a fantastic four season world with ever changing vistas that both calm the soul and clear our minds from our connected world. I have observed thousands of individuals - both lifelong residents and visitors - who trade in their connection with this natural world for the glow of their phones. In many ways, they may be endangering themselves and others by constantly looking into these devices they cradle in their hands. Our society has rapidly evolved into a distracted world where being on "your phone" has become more important than the reality of daily living. An April 9, 2015 Pew Research Center reports states that 92 percent of teens report going online daily, including 24% who go online almost constantly. For this generation, face- book is the most-used social media site: up to 71 % of 13- 17 year olds use facebook, 50% use Instagram, and 40% us Snapchat. This widespread use is not isolated to teens; on any given day in the Adirondacks, a large percentage of visi- tors connect with work, family and friends. This reality would have been foreign only a generation ago. Many employers now have expectations that e-mails and office communica- tion must be answered in real time. This constant, uncontrolled use of electronic communication has led to a massive escalation in so called "distraction based accidents". The data from the Department of Transportation in 2014 on distracted driving alone is disturbing. More than 9 people are killed daily in the US, and more than 1,153 peo- ple injured in crashes involving a distracted driver. The major variable implicated is texting and its inherent lack of focus. Our mountain environment of curving roads and weather conditions demand our attention. And, our roads are multi use; filled with walkers, runners and cyclists, some training for our many athletic events. Yet another argument for fo- cused driving: the abundant wildlife. We must be constant- ly wary of our deer and growing moose population. They're everywhere and can dart out in front of you at any moment, especially at dusk. My fear of distracted drivers is only reinforced when I ob- serve oncoming drivers, head down and focused on a phone, unaware that their vehicle is crossing the middle line or drift- ing off the road. Only a year ago, a distracted bus driver was implicated in a tragic accident on the Northway which killed a 14 year old girl from Quebec. In addition to distracted driving, distracted skiing and snow- boarding has contributed to an increase in injuries and deaths. Now available are ski goggles with connectivity. This technology goes against the most basic principles of the win- ter sport taught to me as a child: You must be aware of your surroundings - and always ski under control. Even a simple distraction can become deadly when on the slopes. Another danger is the selfie stick. This growing need to share visual images in real time has also led to accidents and fatalities. As a result of the risk factor, the Disney Corpora- tion banned the use of selfie sticks in June, 2015. Hopefully, agencies that regulate the Adirondack Park's winter sports will follow suit. The urban landscape cites reports of distracted pedestrians with a growing death toll of individuals who walk into traf- fic while fixated on their phones. This concern with walking with an awareness of your surroundings easily translates to our trails. An early lesson from my Boy Scout days to keep an eye on the trail is lost on those who feel the need to remain connected when in the wilderness. The reports of individuals falling off ledges and going down steep ravines while texting or checking email continue to grow. You may ask yourself, "why is this technology so alluring". The answer may be that it is addictive. Psychologists and neuroscientists have identified an increase of various neu- rochemicals in the brain triggered by the use of this tech- nology. The alerts and pings of the technology also play a major role in their effects on the brain. Bottom-up stimuli are triggered when an alert goes off, causing us to focus on the device. This has been documented since the 19th century by Pavlov and his dog/salivation experiments. The top-down component is the aspect that leads us to focus only on the screen and ignore our surroundings. Many distracted drivers involved in car accidents are unable to recall the accident, but do recall the image on the cell phone screen. My advice to all who enter or live in our beautiful Adiron- dacks is to take time out from our rapidly changing techno- logical world and look around. This simple idea was at the core of those who believed-over a century ago-in the preser- vation of our wilderness. This has led to generations of indi- viduals who have graced our unique wilderness to escape the pressures of daily life. We should learn from their example and look at the beautiful reality that surrounds us. Distracted Outdoors By Peter Papadakos

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