Changing the Narrative

Changing the Narrative

It’s easy to feel freedom behind the wheel. The forever stretches of road. The hum of an engine, and the wind blowing through an open window. Breathing deeply, you squint past the sun at the hills in the distance and smile. You let the engine rev as you press deeply into the floorboard. The speedometer climbs, and the trees become disfigured blurs of green and brown.

Ding

Suddenly the sun isn’t the only light blinding your vision. Your eyes teeter between the road and your screen. Removing one hand from the wheel you reach to read the notification. Very little hesitation in your actions because, “What if it’s Sabrina? What will she think if you take too long to reply?” Your hand skims the expanse of your screen. For a moment longer than a breath and less than a second you look from the road to your phone. The speed climbs as your heart races because it is Sabrina. Your face stretches into a grin, and your eyes zip back to the road. Whether it be the high of the text or the wind beneath your wheels, you are unsure, but life feels endless.

Thunk

You hit a dip in the road your car catches air and you panic as you jerk the wheel in the opposite direction. The trees that before only a blur, now show their branches in full color through your windshield. The sun still beats mercilessly, the airbag has blown the wind from your lungs, and you sit in a daze. Trapped behind the wheel.

You drift off slowly, numb and bleeding and fleetingly you hear a ding. “What will Sabrina think?”

This is not an uncommon occurrence when it comes to the rate of accidents among teenaged drivers. According to an article written by Edgar Snyder & Associates titled “Teen Driver Car Accident Statistics,” an alarming “56 percent of teens admit to talking on cell phones while driving,” while another 32.8 percent have admitted to texting or emailing while driving. Though this may come as a surprise to many I believe that the root of this issue extends past the impatience to comment on a friend’s new Instagram post. It is in my opinion that these habits among teen drivers stem from teen’s dependency on social media as a source of validation and instant gratification. The invention of social media has crafted a generation whose source of worth comes not only from the number of followers they have but the reaction time of those followers. This dependency almost mirrors an addiction. As found in a recent study done by Harvard University use of social media activates neurons in the principal dopamine-producing areas in the brain, equaling a rise in dopamine levels similar to the use of other addictive substances like nicotine or alcohol. The addiction-like response can result in teens having a type of withdrawal at the extended periods without it, like when having to drive. Subsequently, teens can exhibit a lack of regard for the safety of themselves and others. When looking at how to reduce dangerous driving habits among teens we must first look at how to prevent a teen from relying on social media as their only source of positive reinforcement. Thus, averting them from forming the addictive-like habits that come in consequence.

We as a society must begin the work of removing this highly addictive activity from a necessity in a teen’s self-esteem building. No one – though especially not a teen – should have to depend on the gaze of strangers to earn a sense of self-worth. Confidence in its entirety should not be a thing that teenagers should feel they must earn. This is one of the only ways to attack distracted driving among teens at the source. It is our responsibility to sever a teen’s need for the instantaneous validation that social media provides. A few ways by which we can begin doing this is to limit the amount of time a teen spends on their phone. The Addiction Center sites that “an estimated 27% of children who spend 3 or more hours a day on social media exhibit symptoms of poor mental health,” the detrimental effects that this can have on a child’s perception of themselves can follow them for a lifetime. Though reducing screen time by even just an hour a day can lean a teen more into their self-worth than before.

Building a teen’s confidence sans social media off the road is the only way to ensure their confidence without it while on the road. There is no easy way in doing this. Social media since its conception has relied on human weaknesses to keep it alive. However, if we as a collective begin to recognize our faults, we can secure a safer road for not only our teens but for all.

Bibliography

Snyder, E. (2020, May 1). Teen driver car accident statistics & facts. edgarsnyder.com. https://www.edgarsnyder.com/car-accident/who-was-injured/teen/teen-driving-statistics.html. 

Phone addiction: Warning signs and treatment. Addiction Center. (2021, June 15). https://www.addictioncenter.com/drugs/phone-addiction/.