Download The Health Effects of Mobile Phone Use While Walking PDF
ByRandi Dörthe Collin
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“A good book is the purest essence of a human soul.” –Thomas Carlyle
Synopsis
Walking has been shown to have health benefits, including improved physical health and short-term reductions in depression, fatigue, anxiety, and stress. These effects can be boosted by natural environments, which according to the biophilia hypothesis promote relaxation, attention restoration, and decrease negative emotions. A modern phenomenon is people looking at their mobile phones while walking. However, looking at a mobile phone can influence the way people walk, their awareness of their surroundings, and lead to a more hunched posture. This study aimed to investigate whether looking at a smart phone during walking could reduce the positive effects usually observed from walking, and identify the underlying mechanisms. One-hundred-twenty-five healthy adults completed baseline self-report measures of affect, mood, feelings of power, physical comfort, and connectedness with nature, as well as baseline physiological measures of blood pressure and heart rate. Then, participants were randomised to either walk the predetermined route through a park with or without reading a text on a smart phone. Their head and neck postures were video recorded, and their steps, pace, and heart rate monitored by a wrist-worn fitness tracker. After the walking task, participants repeated the physiological and self-report measures and answered questions about their awareness during the walk. Results showed that the phone-group experienced a decrease in positive mood, positive affect, feelings of power, and connectedness with nature, and an increase in negative mood and affect, while the opposite was true for the phone-free group. The phone-group walked significantly slower, with a more hunched posture, and reported greater discomfort. Physiologically, there was no group difference in blood pressure, however walking heart rate was significantly lower in the phone group compared to the phone-free group. Moreover, those who walked with the phone reported significantly less awareness of their environment and experienced greater walking difficulties. Analyses revealed that of the proposed mediators, namely posture, gait, connectedness with nature, awareness, walking difficulties, reduced feelings of connectedness with nature best explained the mood decrease in the phone group. Overall, it appears that looking at the phone inhibited participants' ability to take in and appreciate the natural environment enough to experience the benefits usually associated with walking. This result supports the biophilia hypothesis and suggests that people may be better to walk without looking at their phones. In order to test the generalisability of these effects, future research should consider assessing the effects of phone use during walking in other real-life environments where natural elements are limited or absent.
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