According to the Macmillan dictionary, a smombie is a smartphone zombie: someone who is so busy looking at their phone that they do something stupid like stepping out into traffic.
Unfortunately, walkers distracted by cellphones are leading to increasing rates of pedestrian accidents, injuries and fatalities.
According to the CBS News article Pedestrian deaths on U.S. roads spiking; cellphones eyed:
Pedestrian deaths are climbing faster than motorist fatalities, reaching nearly 6,000 last year - the highest total in more than two decades, according to an analysis of preliminary state data released Thursday ... researchers say they think the biggest factor may be more drivers and walkers distracted by cellphones and other electronic devices ...
Due to the increases in pedestrian accidents, cities are starting to deploy new technologies targeted at smombies.
Cassandra's Crossing Guards covers a number of companies and cities that are introducing lighting solutions designed to keep smombies safe.
Our favorite example comes from the Dutch town of Bodegraven.
They've installed a series of traffic lights in the ground. These turn red or green to alert people staring down at the cellphones when it's safe to cross (or at least their turn to cross).
Australia is also experimenting with in-ground traffic light technology.
This is a great example of unintended consequences, which almost always play interesting and important roles in the diffusion of new technologies.
It's unlikely the inventors of cellphones thought about them leading to increased pedestrian fatalities - much less the need to create new types of traffic lights.
Unintended consequences also can slow or even stop the spread of a new technology.
A good example is the Segway personal transportation device. Initially hailed as a breakthrough technology that would fundamentally change transportation and society, it's been relegated to niche applications due to unintended safety consequences.
We spend a lot of time trying to understand the unintended consequences of new technologies here at Small Business Labs. It's not easy.
Unintended consequences are, well, unintended and generally unforeseen by technology inventors and enthusiasts.
BTW, if you're interested in trends the Cassandra Daily Newsletter is well worth subscribing to.
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