TVB's Message: Cell Phones Can Be Dangerous

Regardless of whether it was on purpose or not, TVB sent viewers the message of the danger that cell phones can bring. In 2007's The Building Blocks of Life and 2009's Burning Flame 3, two kind and wise grandmothers met their demise when they both were hit by a car. The people who were supposed to be by their side though were coincidentally occupied doing the same thing--talking away on a cell phone.


The Building Blocks of Life Cell Phone Death Summary

Ah Da (Tavia Yeung) and her grandma are on the sidewalk waiting to catch a bus. Ah Da's cell phone rings and she walks further away to talk to Ah Keung (Alex Fong). She is at this point completely emerged in her conversation, and oblivious of everything else around her. A bus arrives across the street, and after failing to get Ah Da's attention, her grandma walks across the street herself. A speeding car roams down the road, hitting the grandma in the process. This results in her death, and a teary and depressed granddaughter.




Burning Flame 3 Cell Phone Death Summary


Ah Nam (Stephen Wong Ka Lok) was walking down the street with his "3rd grandma." His friend calls him and Ah Nam walks ahead of his 3rd grandma to continue talking to him. His 3rd grandma is left alone by herself. A car whizzes by and kills her, but not immediately. Unlike in The Building Blocks of Life, she is allowed a final few words.


A Bit Off-Topic...The Effects of the Death

This article is supposed to be about the dangers of cell phones, but I felt the need to add this. Death has different effects on people. Death also comes upon different people (no matter how good they are), at different times (no matter how young), and in different scenarios (besides old age). . Normally, when someone close to a person dies, and they happened to be with them at the time of their death, they will blame it on their selves. Both characters, Ah Da and Ah Nam, were no different. After getting past this stage though, the deaths leave different impacts on the two characters. Ah Da went through a long period of sadness from losing her only relative, and the one who rose her. She becomes very depressed. Her state of depression often ended up getting her in trouble, as she mostly used Ah Keung as her shoulder to cry on. On the other hand, the death of his grandma was a 'wake up call' to Ah Nam. The situation makes Ah Nam turn a complete 360. He matures into a better, more responsible person. Word of his grandma afterward though are rare, and while I don't believe she was 'forgotten', she definitely wasn't mentioned.

Basically...

Both deaths were caused by someone's negligence. Both Ah Da and Ah Nam were irresponsible for paying attention to a phone call with someone instead of the person at their side. While the fault in both situations partly lied in the speeding drivers, the deaths could've been prevented. Then again, everyone makes mistakes so....*shrugs.*

What Cell Phones Have Done to Our Society

Cell phones have become much more advanced over the years. As they do, people start to use them more. And more. And more. What are one of the most common places to talk on a cell phone these days? In the car while driving. In recent years, many car accidents have occurred due to people talking on cell phones while driving. When they do, they will usually struggle to keep the phone by their ear and not letting it fall. More recently though, we've been able to talk 'hands-free' with earphones. What we didn't realize though that the problem didn't lie in the struggle with keeping the phone in place. It lied in the conversation itself. When one is busy having a conversation, they can often divert their attention to just that. They'll pay less attention to the road, and that's when disaster strikes. It's not just while driving when people talk on cell phones. People talk wherever they go. Like I said above, the conversations tend to distract people. It makes them oblivious to something important happening around them. Many people talk while walking down the streets (like Ah Da and Ah Nam). Streets are always busy and hectic. Pedestrians and cars aren't exactly a pleasant mix. All people aren't good drivers either. You've got your reckless drivers, and your drunk drivers. Talking on a cell phone while walking down the street only increases your chance of getting hit by one.

While I love cell phones, and the convenience they bring, they've definitely started to take 'control' of people's lives. People talk way too much on them (just look at the average American teen's phone bill). I really wish people would tone it down a bit. The sight of someone talking on a cell phone while driving is one of the sights that drives me nuts most. Whenever I see that, I see disaster. Laws have been made prohibiting people to do so in some states, but that doesn't stop them.


Applauding TVB

TVB sometimes manages to send out an important message. My question is whether or not it is on purpose, or they do it inadvertently. Death is the worth case scenario of practically every scenario. I hope that people took notice of this, and I hope people will realize what the consequences are of doing such things that at the time seem like 'no big deal.'