Sprint Fights Teen Texting – With Thumb Socks?

Sprint’s new public-service campaign to get teenagers to stop texting while driving has an air of futility about it – and it’s barely begun.

The telecom brand has teamed with an outfit called DoSomething.org to come up with some way, any way, to persuade teen drivers to refrain from the clearly dangerous practice of texting while behind the wheel. And what have they come up with?

Calling the effort “Thumb Wars,” Sprint is now trying to get teens to go online and order three pairs of “thumb socks” – fabric sleeves for thumbs that make it difficult to text, particularly on touch-screen phones.

Apparently, the thinking goes that kids will begin wearing thumb socks in the car not only to be safe but also as a symbol of solidarity behind a sublime statement of self-denial, sort of like promise rings. And they’ll give the extra pairs to their friends. Riiiiiight.

We appreciate it's a tongue-in-cheek effort to get teenagers' attention. But surely the folks at Sprint must realized that attempting in any way to get teens to stop texting, even while driving, may prove scientifically less effective than spitting into the wind.

Unfortunately, few millennials these days, so absorbed by exchanging minimalist, coded digital utterances with their friends, may have the maturity and selflessness to realize – or care about – the danger they are creating for themselves and others. And that goes for many adults as well.

Maybe only new laws will make a difference – or some unspeakable tragedy caused by texting while driving. Oh, wait – we’ve already had one, the 2008 rail crash in Chatsworth, Calif., caused by texting while running a train.

Sure, give some credit to Sprint and its partner for trying, and for sounding optimistic. Sprint executives noted that, five years ago, they came up with a “great nationwide program” called Focus on Driving that educated young drivers on the importance of attentive driving.

But this is different. Trying to promote undistracted driving is a vague goal, one that could become lost in the midst of other "Don't _____ and Drive" admonishments.

Getting teens to put down their chosen instruments of distraction while driving, “attentively” or not? Now, that would be a real accomplishment.