Trends on Tuesday: Distracted Walking

Piggybacking on one of my earlier posts, People are Excited about Mobile, I’m going to talk about “Distracted Walking.” Who among us hasn’t walked and texted or checked Facebook or Twitter on our smartphones, but have bumped into someone or something while texting on your smartphone? I know I am guilty of that.

Maybe you’ve seen this viral video of a woman who, distracted by Facebook on her phone, fell into a fountain. Pew Research recently published an article on ‘Distracted Walking.’ In the article, they stated 53% of all adult cellphone owners have been on the giving or receiving end of a distracted walking encounter. Check out the Twitter replies to Pew’s article.

As these trends continue, government agencies must become more acutely aware of their audience and their internet browsing habits, as well as their expected user experience on agency websites. Many agencies have jumped right in, providing a wide variety of mobile-optimized websites and apps to support citizens accessing government information and services.

Continue embracing the craze. Consider how to provide a custom browsing experience for citizens in your mobile strategy. Check out the DigitalGov Platform for some great resources to get you going in the right direction. And of course, join the conversation and share your challenges and successes, but please do so safely and use caution when texting and walking.