The excessive concentration on mobile phones by the youth is gradually robbing the society of the skill of being observant and also compromising personal safety, an Administrator, Miss Eunice Opuni, has said.
“These days, people are not as alert and focused as was the case years ago because they are always on their phones. They are not even able to tell who just left a banking hall, a public transport or even sat by them at churches and elsewhere because they are so engrossed in activities on their phones,” she expressed concern.
Miss Opuni expressed the concern yesterday in an interview with the Ghanaian Times here, saying that the situation was worrying and she felt strongly to talk about it because to a large extent, it compromised the security of the society and individuals.
She said, it was bad enough that people in our part of the world struggled to give detailed description of people which made it difficult to identify criminals even if they had seen them.
“So imagine, they are not taking notice of them at all because their heads were bent and all their concentration on their gadgets,” she questioned.
The Administrator said it was about time people tried to take “their eyes and minds” off their mobile phones for a reasonable period to be conscious of their environments for their own safety and that of others.
She said it could make them see suspicious or unusual behaviours, persons who were carrying dangerous items and take the necessary actions on time.
“I have seen people missed their bus stops because they were either too busy on WhatsApp or Facebook. Imagine if such a person was kidnapped, how could he or she tell anyone about his or her present location or observations and landmarks,” she asked.
She said the world was becoming dangerous by the day and so, among others, there was the need for everyone to be extra vigilant so that they could “see something to enable them say something “.
“It is heartbreaking that some people have become so addicted to their phones that they even forget that they are walking by the road which makes them a potential danger to themselves and other road users,” Ms. Opuni said.
“I have seen people fall in open drains, had their pockets picked or lost the chance to avoid potential dangers because of their phones,” she said.
She said a person’s security, started with the individual himself or herself and so everyone needed to sit up to support the Police to help.
“When a person is vigilant, it could prevent crimes such as kidnapping, terrorism, robbery among others,” she said.
FROM DZIFA TETTEH TAY, ADJEI KOJO
