Scrollisions: The Growing Social Blight of Screen-Focused Walking
In footpaths, shopping centres, and supermarket aisles across Australia, what was once a rare occurrence has become a daily hazard. The phenomenon of physically running into another person is now increasingly common, but it's not just any collision—it's what workplace and social trends expert Professor Gary Martin terms a 'scrollision'.
Defining the Scrollision Phenomenon
A scrollision occurs when an individual walks forward while completely engrossed in scrolling on their smartphone. The scenario typically unfolds with predictable regularity:
- A person moves through public spaces without looking up from their screen
- Their attention remains locked on digital content rather than their surroundings
- This inattention causes them to bump into another person
- A brief apology might be offered with a fleeting upward glance
- Attention immediately returns to the screen as walking continues
What was once simple, undistracted walking—an activity that allowed people to notice faces, traffic, shop windows, and weather—has transformed. Today, walking often feels like a secondary activity while the real action happens in the palm of the hand.
The Escalating Social Tensions
Increasingly, these encounters spark verbal confrontations that seem disproportionately intense compared to the minor physical impact. Common outbursts include:
- "Get off your phone!"
- "Watch where you're going!"
- "Unbelievable!"
In other instances, there's no apology or confrontation at all. The offender barely acknowledges the collision, while the other person absorbs the impact, steps aside, and continues—often left with lingering irritation that outlasts the physical encounter itself.
Perhaps most striking is how quickly these incidents are dismissed by those causing them, suggesting a normalisation of distracted behaviour in shared spaces.
Why Scrollisions Are Increasing
According to Martin, scrollisions haven't necessarily increased because people care less about others. Rather, they've proliferated because more individuals feel pressured to use every moment productively. Time spent simply walking now feels wasteful unless it's filled with digital activity.
This perceived productivity is often illusory. Messages are half-read, replies are rushed, and content is skimmed rather than absorbed—all while creating genuine social friction in physical spaces.
The Cumulative Consequences
While individual scrollisions might seem innocuous, their collective impact is significant. The consequences manifest in several ways:
- Physical inconveniences: Bumped shoulders, spilled coffees, or missed steps off kerbs
- Safety concerns: Genuine risks when inattention occurs near traffic, bicycles, or stairs
- Social erosion: The quiet deterioration of common courtesy as others constantly adjust
This last point represents the most substantial impact. Other people must step aside, slow down, or remain hyper-alert for those not paying attention—a subtle but persistent transfer of social responsibility.
The Power of Naming the Behaviour
Martin emphasises that terminology matters. 'Scrollision' gives a name to something that happens daily but rarely receives discussion. Once labelled, the behaviour becomes easier to recognise, acknowledge, and potentially prevent.
Scrollisions don't require bans, fines, or dramatic responses, nor do they signal a societal crisis. However, they serve as important reminders about how we navigate shared spaces and what this reveals about our consideration for others.
The Future of Public Courtesy
These incidents reinforce that presence in public spaces is no longer automatic—it must be deliberate. Scrollisions don't prevent movement, but they certainly make moving together more challenging.
As scrollisions become increasingly normalised, the crucial question isn't necessarily how to prevent them, but what happens to courtesy and awareness when distracted walking becomes the default behaviour in Australian public spaces.
The phenomenon highlights a broader social trend where digital engagement increasingly competes with—and sometimes overrides—basic spatial awareness and interpersonal consideration in our daily movements through shared environments.
