If a smartphone user taps on the display while walking, the gait pattern adapts to the requirements of multitasking. Researchers at the Vienna University of Applied Sciences (FH) Campus have now investigated in a study what exactly happens when “text walking” occurs: in the journal “Heliyon” they show that the steps become shorter and wider. This “cowboy-like” gait reduces the risk of falling, but can put strain on the knees.
In the long term, this “text walker” gait could cause lasting damage to the meniscus and cartilage and reduce their resilience. “The study results show that the body switches into a kind of safety mode when using the smartphone.
While the walking speed decreases, there is a simultaneous increase in the stride width,” explains the head of the research project Sebastian Durstberger in a press release from the FH Campus Vienna on Monday. This was revealed to the team of scientists when they observed 27 study participants in a laboratory marched on a special treadmill in front of a screen.
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