A reader made a very accurate comment on my headphones blog about how distracted people become when talking on a cell phone. I personally believe that this is an understatement. There are people who don’t realize that they’re still in this world when talking or texting on a cell phone.

There are videos all over the Internet of people paying more attention to their cell phones than what’s going on around them or even where they’re going. I’ve watched videos of people walking into street signs and traffic, and even one of a lady walking right into a fountain while texting on her cell phone.

Now I’m an advocate of cell phones as an important self-defense tool. Today’s cell phones can be used to take photos or video of perpetrators and evidence in addition to calling the police if you’re forced into a self-defensive situation. However, a cell phone is a tool to make life more convenient, not a toy that is more important than anything else including personal safety.

Laws have been passed making both texting and talking on a handheld cell phone illegal while driving, and there has even been talk about making texting while walking on sidewalks illegal in some major cities. I find it fascinating that we have to implement these types of laws because I can’t be the only person whose parents taught him to pay attention to where he’s going.

Cell phones are nice convenience in a fast-paced world, and a great device for obtaining help in a variety of situations, but they shouldn’t become a constant distraction. I would figure that more people would pay attention just so they wouldn’t become the next joke on YouTube.