NONFICTION

Distracted Diving Essay

Distracted driving has become an epidemic in the United States. Despite the multitude of ads, billboards, and common knowledge, people can’t seem to separate themselves from their phones and pay attention to the roads in front of them.

As found by Voinea et al. “car traffic crashes cause more than 1.35 million deaths” and additional injuries tally to “as many as 50 million… annually worldwide” (Voinea, Boboc, Buzdugan, Antonya, Yannis, 2023, p. 4345). Distracted driving - the “visual, auditory, manual, physical, and cognitive distraction” (Voinea et al, 2023, p. 4353) - accounts for many of these injuries, where a cell phone can fall into any category. Pulling from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, “995 fatalities and 24,000 injuries were believed to be caused by cell phones” (Weller, Dieckmann, Slovic, Shackleford, 2013, p. 379). With these numbers, the issue is prevalent, and people must face the fact that a large reason behind these deaths and injuries is cell phone use while driving. A group that finds themselves pulled into their phones - even when on the road - are “young adults” (Keiser, Kodjebacheva, Kandasamy, 2023, p. 514). 

Young adults have been raised around technology for a majority of, or in some cases, the entirety of their lives. Because they have always been around their phones “research suggest that people may also develop attachments to their possessions, a phenomenon present early in life” (Weller et al., 2013, p. 379) - meaning that a young adult physically cannot separate themselves from their phones even when the situation is extremely dangerous with one. People are so attached to their phones that “25% of individuals reported that they would rather lose their wallet” and an additional “75% said they never leave their home without their phone” (Weller et al., 2013, p. 380). Individuals find it impossible to stray from their phones and would rather lose something that has their credit/debit cards, identifying information, and money. The extent to which an individual is attached to their phone is seen as “interpersonal attachment anxiety” which leads to “risk behaviors such as reckless driving” (Weller et al., 2013, p. 384) because someone is not able to look away from their phone for long periods of time due to the profound attachment that has been formed between person and object. The more these behaviors are exhibited, the more harm will plague the nation - especially the roads.

Alongside the attachment, the social attitude of young adults plays into why they continue to drive distracted. Many young adults “believe they are immune” (Keiser et al. 2023, p.514) to the dangers of distracted driving. They are both confident in their own abilities and have not yet been injured; so, they believe that there is no way that they could become part of an accident. Young adults are constantly “observing others engage in distracted driving without consequences” (Keiser et al., 2023, p. 514) which leads to them further believing that they will not be affected. The environment that these young adults were raised in shaped them socially into thinking that distracted driving is something that harms and affects others: they couldn’t possibly be vulnerable. 

How can this issue be resolved then? It’s apparent that cell phones aren’t going away anytime soon, rather the opposite, as found by Weller et al. “attachment may also become greater and more widespread” (Weller et al., 2013, p. 385). As the years continue more people will have grown up with cell phones, social media, and a multitude of notifications attracting their attention. Substantial changes must be made to protect the streets.

Some modes of prevention are found in cell phones and cars themselves as Voinea’s research group argues, “the side effects of using social media can be prevented with the help of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADASs)” (Voinea et al., 2023, p. 4357). These solutions do less to change the behaviors of drivers, rather they work to take in information from the world around the vehicle - such as nearby cars, lanes, etc. - and work to self-correct the vehicle position. To be a greater resource to the wider world “technology needs to become more accessible, reliable, and mainstream” (Voinea et al., 2023, p. 4359) than it currently is. If technology becomes accessible, then more safety measures can correct the unsafe behaviors of young drivers.

There are also programs that are “implemented in emergency departments to train health care providers including nurses who in turn offer education to patients and community members” (Keiser et al., 2023, p. 514), though in some cases this comes as a reactive solution instead of a proactive one. Patients affected by distracted driving are likely to change their attitudes towards the act and become more accepting of the ideas of distracted driving programs, but this is at the cost of their health as they have already been harmed. “Virtual lecture” (Keiser et al., 2023, p. 514) may also be a part of these programs - and are shared in many high schools across the United States already. With the considerable number of distracted driving cases though, it is unlikely that these lectures hold much weight in the minds of young adults.

What must be changed most of all are the attitudes of young drivers. As stated by the Theory of Planned Behavior an “attitude change must occur for people to change behaviors” (Keiser et al., 2023, p. 517). The current attitude to distracted driving among young adults is that they are not at risk, so, they must be shown that they are the ones at risk because of their lack of attention to the roads. What Keiser’s groups found was that a “simulation-based distracted driving experience” (Keiser et al., 2023, p. 517) is the most effective way of going about this. When someone is placed in a situation that feels as though they are in danger due to their behavior - even if they are not truly - and therefore more likely to change it. The simulation places the individual into a situation that they once thought was impossible and makes it so, addressing head on that their attitude of immunity isn’t as truthful as they once thought. 

Distracted driving has become even more prevalent in today’s age of personal cell phones and wide use of social media throughout people’s lives. Young adults who have progressed with cellular technology have been found to drive distracted at higher rates and believe that they are immune to the adverse effects of doing so. With the advancement of technology, simulations are now created to show drivers the errors of their ways and change their attitude towards distracted driving. 

Driving without care has plagued America for too long, and now it is up to the new generation of drivers to change their behaviors and create a safer world for all.

References

Keiser, M., Kodjebacheva, D. G., & Kandasamy, D. (2023). Evaluating the Impact of a Multifaceted Distracted Driving Prevention Program. Journal of Emergency Nursing: JEN, 49(4), 513–519. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jen.2023.03.004

Voinea, G.-D., Boboc, R. G., Buzdugan, I.-D., Antonya, C., & George, Y. (2023). Texting While Driving: A Literature Review on Driving Simulator Studies. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(5), 4354–4384. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20054354

Weller, J. A., Shackleford, C., Dieckmann, N., & Slovic, P. (2013). Possession attachment predicts cell phone use while driving. Health Psychology, 32(4), 379–387. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0029265

Simuluation vs. Narration

Advertising in video games is nothing new: from the beginning of floppy disks games from corporations such as PepsiCo. and Kraft Heinz, industries have been planting their products and ideas into the minds of players, hoping that they will look on the shelf – or these days look at their screen – and place the item in their cart.

Gonzalo Frasca explains that “traditional media are representational, simulational” (Frasca, 2003, p. 223) demonstrating that many games have taken up purely visual advertising such as product placement - for example car brands in Grand Theft Auto - to push their products to the consuming populus. This style of advertising can be effective, but not as much as the other kind of advertising which is simulation. Simulation, as Frasca outlines, is “to model a (source) system through a different system which maintains (to somebody) some of the behaviors of the original system” (Frasca, 2003, p. 223). Simulations are far better at advertising because they are selling their audience an experience that they can manipulate and become part of.

There are several new games that replicate the same advertising experience, though players are unlikely to immediately assume that they are being advertised to. Games such as FIFA and NBA are very explicit examples: the names are quite literally the same as the sports community they are based on. Players go through the motions of playing a soccer or basketball game; they have the experience of getting to manipulate the players and the satisfaction of playing without having to step onto the field. They can manipulate the players on the field to get the outcome that they want, to watch through a game that they could have watched but instead chose to create.

A game such as FIFA is what Frasca describes as “advergaming” (Frasca, 2003, p. 225) - these games are created for the sole purpose of advertising a product or a company. The Lego Movie Game, Chex Quest, and Crazy Taxi are all examples of advergaming throughout the years. Many of these games are simulation based: a mostly free-range area, they have “behavioral rules” (Frasca, 2003, p. 227), and an unclear end point. There are also many different routes that a person can take which pull users in even more and cause them to spend long hours playing. 

Advergaming has become a big thing, especially in recent years with the overwhelming presence of the Internet and the ease of access to technology. The age demographic that advergaming can have the most effect on - and success with - are teenagers and adolescents. As Frasca explains while illustrating the concept of Boalian drama, “The child is constantly adapting his fantasy to different changes, without the grown-up’s obsession with closure” (Frasca, 2003, p. 229).

According to the PEW Research Center, 97% of teens reported that they used the internet daily and 46% of teens reported that they were nearly constantly connected to the Internet. Furthermore, as documented from the Center, people aged 18 to 29 make up most social media platforms (it should be noted that this survey included only adults).

As understood by many individuals – and backed by the National Institute of Health – human brains do not finish developing until the mid to late 20s. Most importantly is the prefrontal cortex, that large front of the brain that is responsible for responsible decision making. Regrettably, this area of the brain is the last to fully develop. 

Simulative advergames create a perfect environment with the adolescent mind to run wild. A child, with high internet use and an underdeveloped mind that’s keen on fantasy and change, would find a simulation utterly engaging and may not worry about the advertisements that they are being bombarded with. A teen playing FIFA loves it because they control how players interact and can have multiple endings to each game - the possibilities can seem endless. Teens are being advertised FIFA and soccer as a whole: there’s a new game released every year that players can buy and if a user gets latched on hard enough, they may start investing their money in the real-life experiences as well.

Furthermore, “simulation is the form of the future” (Frasca, 2003, p. 233), as Frasca argues, with the advancement in technology the creation and use of simulation-based games will only continue to grow. This idea works in tandem with advertising, particularly to children as they are the future of the economy. As children and teens grow used to playing these simulation advergames they may continue to play into their adulthood because they find the games entertaining. When these adolescents grow, they will obtain jobs and have more disposable income to which they can spend on more games or the products that are being advertised in the games themselves - either way, the economy is gaining a boost.

There are millions of teens and young adults using their devices every day, locked into video games, mobile games, and more – at each opportunity advertisers are pitching their products, whether they be an experience or material good. Without the proper ability to make responsible decisions, many users or players latch onto that product, wanting it, coveting it. They were fed the sensations of the product through the games they played, and now the digital experience turns into a real one where the products can be bought on a shelf, or worse yet, simply purchased with a click of a button on the device they were already engrossed with.

It's no wonder why advertisers would latch onto videogames so much to push their products: the next era of consumers is on them continuously, it’s simply a matter of profit.

FICTION

"Mythic Love"

With hesitant eyes Orpheus peered to see,

The glittering skin of beloved Eurydice,

But with that glance her soul did sink,

The memory of her sweet love, poured like ambrosia wine.

(I yearn for my words to drip like coveted honey)

Swept away by the hand of the wind,

Hyacinthus bled into lavender florets,

Apollo’s Spartan prince laid cold and gray.

For the god of medicine, there was no remedy.

(I yearn that my lovers will adore my broken body)

Craved Helen, splitting the lands,

Who Paris swiped for kingdom Troy;

Zealous infatuation toppling stone towers,

She lamented in a cage, no woman shall enjoy.

(I yearn for the soaring sensation of such mania)

Achilles woefully willed to Priam’s wild war

With Patroclus’ devotion by his side;

Though, now their bodies rest as one,

Two souls forever intertwined.

(I yearn for the bittersweet declaration  of ‘forever’)

The jubilant youth, Persephone, spring’s daughter,

Unthawing the frigid heart of Lord Hades,

A wayward golden ray to him, 

Though she need travel above to dance before the sun.

(I yearn that they may hunger for my presence)

Stories drifting through the eras

Until they float through my ears.

Love so persistent, persistently so vile.

These ancient tales bring out my deepest fears.

If I cannot love like each these figures,

Will my life, my story, linger?

How Do I Look?

Minutes pass at a snail’s pace as I examine my own reflection. Each piece of the skin is carefully inspected - picking out every pore on the nose, the faint vermillion discoloration on the cheeks, angry rusty scabs on the chin, forehead, and upper lip.

My hair is unevenly cut, stray strands stick out at odd angles in the back; the memory of scarlet hair dye still clinging to the locks though the natural chocolate brown peeks through at the roots. The dye desperately grips the pale skin of my hairline. It’s fading quicker than I would have liked it too, the natural nature of my appearance seeping through the façade.

Crossing the smooth expanse of the forehead, two dark eyebrows stand out from the skin. Unlike the hair growing from the scalp, these strands are nearly sable. No longer neatly trimmed, the infant stages of new hair rise out of the follicles, like tiny specks in a grand, ivory dune.

Traveling farther down, there are uneven eyes - the sign of astigmatism. The imperfection leads to the right eye being hooded, while the other stays wide, something that had tarnished every photograph for years. The eyes themselves are rich brown - like the majority of the population - surrounding the iris sits a ring of navy blue and bright red, spidering veins. Deeper in the eyes sit inky pupils reflecting me, the observer. A clothbound, homemade notebook rests in my hands, blue ballpoint pen wildly scribbling notes in a doctor-like script.

Strikingly, these eyes are tired, half lidded, yearning to close to completion. Directly under the eyes are faint mauve crescents, cut up with creases and wrinkles. These bruises are the fault of clinging to the waking world when the moon perches high in the night sky. The web of veins continues here: blue, purple, green, and red. Even fainter, milia is speckled across the oily skin.

Climbing down, the nose sits, primarily straight, but with a small bump just below the eyes - small enough though that one wouldn’t believe it were there at all. This nose is littered with acne scars and blackheads, gradually getting more and more inflamed. Near the end are three divots, the reminder of nights spent in front of a cracking mirror. Stretching to the sides of the face, hair - futilely seeking to stay auburn - rests. The left side hangs a half-an-inch longer than the right, neither cut correctly in the slightest. The oddly hanging strands yearn for a neat trim.

Extending from the nose are the beginnings of smile lines, reaching from the nostrils to the pale pink lips. They’re cracked, dried, begging for something, anything, to take away the drought. Above the top is the start of facial hair - not so dark that a stranger passing on the street may take notice, but present enough to send shocks of euphoria through my heart. The bottom lip is trickier, a double lip line blurring what is typical skin and what is not. Similar to the divots in the nose, two sit beneath the bottom lip - though no memory of frantic late nights resides here.

Reaching the bottom of the face, the chin and jaw are rounded, softer than the harsh contours of others. The scabs that live here remain in a better healing stage than those around the other roads of the face. The mentalis muscle juts out in a way that differentiates itself from the rest of the jaw.

As the seconds drag on, turning into minutes, my eyes inspect every aspect of my own reflection with worry. It begins slowly; I pick at one imperfection and then another until I begin criticizing, condemning the figure that sits before me. What was once an interesting experience gazing over the plains of my face begins to divulge into a nightmare.

The jaw is too soft; the hair is too disheveled; the lips are too pink. Suddenly the scabs and scars that didn’t bother me are the bane of my very existence. My face morphs into someone that I can no longer recognize: I believe that the eyes I’ve known all my life will blink back at me on their own, that the lips will move and form words that are not mine at all. The person in the reflection is not me, and I am not them.

People were not meant to do this, to have the ability to critique themselves in such perfect detail for so long - that is the message that echoes in my mind as I strain to not check the time. In an act of desperation to avoid thinking of the face in front of me, I reflect on the past.

How long have we truly been able to utilize mirrors in this way? When did the surface begin to be so perfect that I could pick out the tiniest of beauty marks on my skin? Why did we create such a vile piece of decoration? The first reflections we would have seen must have been in rivers and streams, the flowing water disrupting the image. That would be better, I admit to myself: seeing this figure in such detail is agonizing.

At once my phone rings, alerting me that my time has been completed. Twenty minutes never felt so long.