Distracted driving, a well-known phenomenon, has major negative implications for insurers and society. The "need" to send text messages, participate in phone calls, do web searches, and interact with the vehicles navigation/entertainment system all take attention away from driving.

Insurers are painfully aware of this problem, as it has caused a spike in accidents in recent years. But this is not the only type of distraction that can cause problems.

Examples of distracted living that can be just as harmful or even dangerous include:

— Pedestrian accidents. There are many cases of pedestrians walking into traffic, bumping into buildings, or falling into fountains due to their rapt attention to content on their smartphones. While YouTube is filled with funny videos of incidents involving the oblivious people, serious accidents have resulted as well.

Related: 5 most walkable cities that are the most dangerous for pedestrians

— Lost productivity at work. Many studies have been conducted on employees' use of social media and other Internet services during work hours. Although many companies have policies to limit usage, it is still a serious problem for employers.

— Workplace accidents. It is one thing for employees to surf the web, text, or watch sports highlight videos while at their desks, but quite another when employees on the move at worksites are staring at a screen. Imagine employees who become distracted on constructions sites, in factories with dangerous chemicals, or while operating machines. It is easy to see how more workplace accidents can happen.

— Operators in public transportation. Drivers of trains, planes, ships, streetcars, buses, and other types of public transportation must keep their complete attention focused on the task at hand. Yet, there have already been cases of accidents caused by operators that were distracted.

— Mental health issues. Social media has been a positive force for many individuals, fostering community and connection. But for others, the social media world may result in frayed personal relationships, obsessions, or may lead to mental health issues.

These are but a few examples of how the easy availability of digital content takes our attention away from important activities. Although many of these are insignificant from an actuarial standpoint for insurers (besides distracted driving), distracted living is still a cause for concern and a trend that the industry should continue to monitor. 

Related: Smartphones are killing Americans on the roads, but nobody's counting

Mark Breading is a partner at Boston-based SMA. Email him at [email protected]. This article first appeared on StrategyMeetsAction.com, and is reprinted here with their permission. Opinions expressed in this article are the author's own.