Lifeguards Texting.

Texting by Lifeguards Is Raising Safety Concerns

This article says that lifeguards at public swimming pools are text messaging during their sessions, and that by this lives are endangered by their actions.

I have to agree. Being a lifeguard at a swimming pool is a tedious job, basically just sitting in the corner under the burning sun, and looking around what's going on. There's really nothing to do when nothing happens at the pool. Since there is nothing happening, it may seem like there's a lot of "free time" in your hands. So you slip out your cell phone to kill the boredom.

"Lifeguarding positions are commonly filled by college students who may not want to feel disconnected from their gadgets, even if their job is to devote full attention to watching for signs of trouble."

Yes, indeed you need to keep an eye at what's going on. We never know when will, and what might happen. A lifeguard is responsible for any prevention of trouble that is likely to happen. Two years ago a young boy did drown in pool that was guarded by lifeguard who text messaged during his/her session.

The problem isn't merely because of text messaging: there was is a small snowball effect that has resulted this. It is also mentioned in the article that organizations have cut lifeguard wages, which made pools prefer to hire younger employees (mostly college students), who do can't live being excluded away from electronic devices or telecommunication. But the thing that backs up this small snowball's journey, is that lifeguards have written acknowledgements that they can be fired for having electronic devices during work.

In conclusion I think that the young lifeguards were indeed wrong for their lack of responsibility at work, but there are causes for everything.
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