text-walk
v. To conduct a text message conversation while walking.
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2016
Idaho town Rexburg was among the first in the United States to impose a US$50 (S$68) fine on anyone found crossing a street while texting on a phone. The law was enacted in April 2011 and signs were put up all over the city to remind pedestrians not to text-walk.
—Chang May Choon, “Seoul puts up road safety signs to warn 'smartphone zombies',” The Straits Times, June 27, 2016
2015
An Mlab spokesperson told Yahoo News, “Everyone text-walks. You probably walk through the streets while texting or sending WhatsApp messages to your friends and don’t really pay attention to your surroundings — only to whatever is happening on your screen. This causes collisions with poles or other pedestrians. You could, unknowingly, even be endangering your own life while you text-walk when you cross the street without looking up.”
—Trevor Mogg, “Belgian city launches 'text walking lanes' for smartphone addicts,” Digital Trends, June 15, 2015
2014
The scientists warned that text-walkers are also at risk of wandering in front of traffic and stumbling onto train tracks — and urged pedestrians to stop before type…Dr Schabrun said that people need to be educated on the dangers of text-walking.
2008 (earliest)
text walking is just as bad as text driving, ha! Ok, time to break the habit…
—Jay.Eee.Ehn, “text walking is…,” Twitter, July 01, 2008