If you’ve ever watched (and re-watched) this video of a woman falling into a mall fountain while texting, you may not have had the last laugh—because the klutz could one day be you. According to a new study in the journal Gait & Posture, talking and texting on your cell phone while walking significantly interrupts your gait, putting you at risk for similarly embarrassing (and potentially dangerous) moments.
In the study, a group of twenty-somethings was randomly instructed to walk while talking or texting on a cell phone. Researchers found that talking and texting caused participants to hoof toward a target 33 percent and 16 percent more slowly, respectively. What’s more, participants veered off course by 61 percent and walked 13 percent beyond the target while texting, compared to when they walked sans phone.
Walking and using the cell phone rely on two systems—working memory and attention—to accurately perform both tasks, says study author Eric Lamberg, Ed.D., a physical therapist at Stony Brook University in New York. “The systems may have a capacity limit, and attempts to perform both tasks simultaneously may stress these systems even though both behaviors are seemingly automatic.”
Keeping your hands off your iPhone while walking seems as unlikely as the fountain girl ever reclaiming her dignity, but keep it in your pocket when crossing the street—and of course while driving. (Need we remind you that texting behind the wheel can double your normal reaction time?) If you absolutely can’t resist texting down the sidewalk, do us a favor and at least download the Type-N-Walk App, which turns the background of your screen into a video of what’s in front of you to avoid walking into lampposts, fire hydrants, and street signs
