...und the commentary...

Deaf to Danger

People say that music is a way to reduce stress levels, especially after a long day at work. Although undoubtedly true, music – especially in the right circumstances – can cause the listener to put himself in danger. The same can be said for text-messaging, as those who text while walking might be obstructing other passers-by. Listening to music makes one unaware of his or her surroundings. This can lead to the listener putting himself at risk of injury, and also putting other passers-by at danger.

By listening to music, the chance of someone falling victim to an accident, and consequently injury, is increased. When one is walking or crossing the road, listening to music reduces his or her reaction time by 35 per cent, according to a study by the RAC Foundation in Britain. Hence this makes him more oblivious to the surroundings. Devices such as noise-cancelling earphones can silence ambient noise by nearly 100 per cent, rendering the listener ‘deaf’ to his surroundings. Thus, a person might not realise that there is a potential danger near him or in his path, and he is simply walking blindly – or rather, deafly – into the danger awaiting him.

Indeed, doctors have warned of the danger people face due to distractions such as listening to music or text-messaging. This is clearly reflected in a study conducted by the Sunday Times, where reporters deliberately bumped into, or rode a bicycle towards, 60 people who were either text-messaging or listening to music. Out of the 30 who were listening to music, 12 did not hear the bicycle bell and thus did not move away. 24 of the 30 had their music volume above 50 per cent. This shows that people are quite indifferent to their surroundings, and are alright with potentially putting themselves at risk, for their own pleasure’s sake.

People might say that listening to music is a way for them to reduce their stress levels. Also it is the duty of the driver, the bicycle rider, or the other pedestrians, to move away from them instead of the listeners themselves moving. They are not willing to sacrifice their pleasure and relaxation, through listening to music, or texting. What they fail to realise is that others are also put at risk, due to the careless and ignorant acts of those who are listening to music, or text-messaging. People who are using their cell phones while driving put themselves, and pedestrians at risk. They will become distracted, and their alertness levels decrease. The number of summonses issued for use of cell phones while driving, according to Traffic Police figures, has increased from 2,505 in 2007 to 2,583 in 2008. This shows that, slowly, more people are potentially endangering themselves and others while they are on the road. These irresponsible actions, as well as the indifferent attitude of music listeners and cell phone users, are the reason why this issue has been brought forward.

Danger can come from the most unlikely of sources, and listening to music is indeed one of them. Listening to music, like text-messaging, is a danger, not only to the listener, but also to others around him. Their indifferent attitude is the main reason why the number of incidents related to this problem has not decreased. People are unwilling to sacrifice their pleasure, for others’ safety.