Social Media and FOMO: How Teen Drivers Are Influenced

The biggest challenges that teen drivers face today would be the overall envelopment of a culture of never ending pleasure or dopamine. I say this from personal experience as I have seen how the constant flowing dopamine takes over the minds of teens not only behind the wheel but also in the classroom and in many social settings. The issue of cell phones and the danger that they serve to teen drivers does not start with the pocket sized screens we have all grown accustomed to but actually the minds of the teens. While in the new age of constant media has taken over society it has also taken over the minds of many teens as well. Teens are usually insecure and trying to fit in with the status quo of the society around them and social media and their cellphones give them a constant tap to the newest and latest trends. The feeling of being glued to social media follows teens behind the wheel. I’ve been in the passenger seat while my friend drives distractedly scrolling on social media or texting and the ride is never as smooth as it could be.

Social media is designed to be addictive, trying to hook people on the apps or websites and glue them there. With teenagers this effect is ever prevalent in today’s world and their driving can severely be impacted by it. It has been studied and proven that social media alters dopamine pathways in the brain and creates a dependency on the constant social media connection that can be parallel to a substance addiction according to the National Institute of Health and the National Library of Medicine. This substance like addiction paired with the fear of missing out, or in other words “FOMO” which around seventy five percent of teens face according to a study done by Baylor University, can lead to dangerous combinations. Being in the car while the driver is constantly snapping their friends back on snap chat or being hyper responsive through texts or instagram direct messages can absolutely endanger the lives of the passengers, the driver, and the other cars plus pedestrians. I’ve been in the passenger seat while the driver is constantly on their phone and it is frightening at times. Especially knowing that the same driver had totaled multiple cars in previous accidents.

These bad habits are poisoning teen drivers and these addictions are extremely widespread. Around forty percent of teens text and drive according to the American Academy of Family Physicians and this regularity of this distracted driving normalises it. The teenager society in a sense expects an instant response from a fellow teen, whether the other teen is driving or not. The instant communication paired with the desire to be approved or linked by one’s peers is a dangerous combination as well. I myself have fallen into the bad habit of checking if I have any new followers and who they are or how many likes my latest post or story has received from my different friends from different social groups. Ideas of being disliked by others or even missing out on the opportunity to appear cool or fashionable in the eyes of friends, peers, or even just associates is the driving factor in many cases. The problem is the lack of a larger understanding of society and the world surrounding all teen drivers as well as all teen passengers.

As teenagers grow and adapt to the world around them it takes trial and error however an error while driving can be fatal and costly. An understanding that so often their fellow peers and almost everyone else on social media is also addicted and trying to appear a certain way for the facade in the eyes of others that one teens own personal attempt to look cool often goes unnoticed or overlooked is missed. If teens and for that matter all social media users understood that then there’s a good chance distracted driving incidents would not be so prevalent and a consistent matter in society. Understanding that social media does not exist outside of a phone and that four thousand pounds of car traveling at high speeds and the real ramifications that an accident could cause very much do exist in real life outside of a phone is very important when getting behind the wheel.

Creating a habit of shutting your phone off, or turning on do not disturb mode, or simply keeping your phone in your pocket while driving can all be great ways of overcoming these addictive bad habits. Another option could be turning the notifications off on the different social media apps any teen could be on. One other additional measure could be installing mandatory drivers education classes in high schools even for students that already have their licenses to keep their skills sharp and awareness high.