Look Up: The Life Outside Your Phone

When we hear about kids and smartphones, the dangers we usually talk about are social media or screen time, but what we rarely mention is the danger in real life, the one happening right in front of us.

Did he even know he’d passed someone?

It was a weekday mid-afternoon and the schools had just started to kick out. I’d just finished a run and was on my walking cool down when I noticed a young boy, maybe 11 or 12, heading towards me. He had his phone in hand, head down and eyes glued to the screen. As is often the case with people walking while looking at their phones, he was drifting from one side of the path to the other, completely unaware of my presence. I moved to the side to make sure he didn’t bump into me. He still didn’t notice, so lost in whatever he was watching that it was as if the only thing in his world was on that screen. This wasn’t a quick check of a message. He was fully engrossed. Ask him who he passed that day, and he might not even realise he passed anyone.

And in that moment, I realised that I could have grabbed that phone from his hands before he’d even noticed. Which means anyone could have, or worse. What a terrifying thought, that you could be so unaware of what’s around you that something could happen before you even have time to blink.

Of course, we shouldn’t have to walk around worrying that someone might grab our phone. But that’s not really the point. It’s about basic awareness of what’s happening around us, and how easily we lose that awareness the moment we turn our focus to a screen.

How often do we do the same?

I’d like to say this was a rare occurrence, but as someone who likes to get her daily steps in, I’ve seen it far too many times. I sometimes wonder if I should say something, but in this day and age an adult telling someone else’s child what they should or shouldn’t be doing would probably end up online, with the adult in the wrong. And honestly, what would I even say that would make them stop and think?

I absolutely support no phones at school, if my daughter were still there, I’d be all for a smartphone-free childhood. But it says a lot about the pull of these devices when the very first thing a child does after school is check their phone.

That said, how often do we, as adults, do exactly the same?

The reality is, this behaviour isn’t limited to children, adults are just as guilty.

Smartphones are useful, but they’ve become so ingrained in daily life that checking them while walking now feels completely normal. I’ve seen people step straight off the kerb without even glancing up, or stop dead in the middle of the path because their phone has snatched their attention. There’s a reason it’s illegal to check your phone while driving. Yes, that carries more risk, but the rule exists for a reason. We’re simply not capable of giving our full attention to two things at once.

Of course, there are times when a message comes through and you need to check your phone. We all do it. But maybe the safer and more respectful thing, for yourself and the people around you, is to just step to the side and stop for a second. It seems simple, but when did we get so busy that even pausing feels like too much? If it’s important enough to check, surely it’s important enough to pause.

We can’t expect our kids to behave differently if we’re doing the same.

I write this from a place of genuine concern. There are too many times when not just children but adults too are so lost in their phones that they’re completely unaware of the world around them. I think of all the people who’ve recently bought Deep Heat spray for self-protection, yet have it buried at the bottom of a handbag - head down, phone in hand - and wouldn’t even have time to react.

Being aware of your surroundings isn’t just about avoiding danger; it’s about noticing life. The faces you pass, the seasons changing, the moments unfolding right in front of you.

Our phones can do almost everything, except help us see what’s right in front of us. And maybe that’s a good thing.

So much to see, yet we miss so much, all because we forget to look up.

If you’d like more real-life reflections like this, head back to the blog page to keep reading.

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