Do you ever feel like the people around you are addicted to their phones? Maybe you just see them using their devices constantly. Perhaps you look at other drivers while you are in traffic and notice that many of them are attempting to text and drive, despite it being both dangerous and illegal.
It’s not your imagination. There are addiction issues with cell phones, especially when it comes to the use of social media apps. As one researcher put it, these apps are “specifically designed to activate the brain’s dopamine-driven reward system, creating a loop of habitual and addictive behavior.” It can be very difficult for people to break this addiction, and they may not even realize they’re addicted to begin with.
Why are apps designed that way?
The reason that apps are designed this way is largely just because of money. Social media platforms and other apps generate money through the use of ads. It’s beneficial for the system to be set up in a way that keeps the user on the platform for as long as possible. A user who is addicted to their device provides an endless source of income.
But the problem is that someone who has become addicted to their phone can’t turn that addiction off when they have to drive. They certainly may know that it’s illegal to text and drive. They may know that distracted driving is dangerous. But the addiction has such a hold on them that they will take risks or act in ways that they may regret – such as after they cause an accident.
If you’ve been injured by one of these negligent drivers, you may deserve financial compensation for medical bills and more.