“ I ’ m not always attached to my phone , sometimes it ’ s charging .”
PHONE ADDICTION
CASES WHERE OVERUSE RESULTED IN INJURY OR DEATH
Case 1 : Falling to his death
NBC San Diego reported that on Christmas Day 2015 , Joshua M . Burwell of Indiana , US , visited San Diego ’ s scenic Sunset Cliffs , a popular spot for tourists and locals to view the sunset . However , he was so distracted by his mobile device that he wasn ’ t looking where he was walking and fell to his death .
Case 3 : Baby drowning in bathtub
Last year , it was reported by NewsCorp Australia that a Queensland woman has been jailed for the 2021 death of her baby daughter after she drowned while she was doing household duties and checking Facebook .
Lavinia Alison Murray left her baby girl , Trinity , alone during a bath in a makeshift tub in the laundry sink and then proceeded to chat with friends over Facebook . The 24-year-old mother pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the Brisbane Supreme Court . She was sentenced to five years in prison , suspended for 12 months .
Case 2 : Ramming into police
A serial traffic offender chatted with his girlfriend via text messages while driving on Sydney ’ s Hume Highway before crashing into two police officers who were setting up a random breath testing station in 2018 . News . com . au reported that both officers were injured , with one having his leg amputated .
Case 4 : Deadly highway pileup
In 2010 , a 19-year-old Missouri man was commuting to work along the highway . Syracuse . com reported that he was distracted by his phone while he was driving , and collided with a semi-truck , causing a deadly pileup , killing two people and injuring 38 others .
“ I ’ m not always attached to my phone , sometimes it ’ s charging .”
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Autumn Issue 2025 | Executive PA 31