A 45-year-old woman walked right off a pier and into Lake Michigan because she was texting. As rescuers fished her from the freezing water, I doubt she was thinking of her phone, or the lost message. But moments before, this task had consumed her. Though texting-induced icy plunges are rare, our compulsion to multitask can be unhealthy and even dangerous. We're in the midst of a distraction epidemic, with mental, physical and emotional repercussions.