Replying to messages on LINE (Japan’s most popular messaging app) as you walk to the station.
Checking a map as you make your way somewhere.
Waiting at a crosswalk, then stepping off while still scrolling through social media.
Using a smartphone while doing something else has become completely ordinary. But in these moments, we are actually doingtwo things at once: walking, and processing the information on our phones.
Because we usually walk without giving it much thought, glancing at a phone may seem easy.
Researchers, however, study smartphone use while walking from the perspective of the “dual task”—doing two tasks at the same time.
Even Just Walking Keeps Your Brain Busy
Walking feels automatic, but in reality it isn’t simple.
Checking which way you’re heading.
Avoiding people and obstacles.
Watching for traffic lights and cars.
Keeping your balance.
Adjusting your speed as your surroundings change.
We walk while handling all of this.
When a smartphone is added to the mix, we also need to be
reading messages,
thinking about what to write,
typing,
and searching the screen for the information we need.
These are all additional tasks on top of walking.
In other words, when we use a phone while walking, we can be thought of as dividing our limited attention among several things at once.
An Analysis of 22 Studies Found Changes Even in How We Walk
In 2023, a meta-analysis was published that examined 22 studies with 592 participants on smartphone use while walking.
It found that, compared with normal walking, using a smartphone while walking led to changes such as slower walking speed, shorter steps and more time with both feet on the ground.
Even more interesting, the effects differed depending on what people were doing on their phones.
Rather than simply looking at the screen, tasks that demand more attention, such as reading text or typing, tended to have a greater effect on walking.
Even when we use our phones on the go without thinking, our bodies may be adjusting the way we walk to cope.
A 2025 Study Also Focused on the Dual Task
In 2025, a study of 119 people examined situations in which participants typed on a smartphone while walking.
Here, too, the key point is the division of attentional resources.
Because our attention is limited, doing several things at once changes how much attention we can give to each.
“Walking is automatic, so it’s fine to focus on my phone” isn’t necessarily true.
For the brain, it may be
walking + watching your surroundings + reading text + thinking about the content + typing
—many tasks that it is being asked to handle all at once.
Multitasking Is on the Rise at Work, Too
This isn’t only about using a phone while walking.
Checking chat while putting together documents on your computer.
Replying to emails during an online meeting.
Handling work messages while on the move.
Scrolling social media while watching TV.
For many of us today, the time we spend doing just one thing is actually the smaller part of the day.
It may feel like an efficient use of time, but in reality we are splitting our attention across several things and switching it from one to the next.
Of course, these studies don’t allow us to conclude directly that using a phone while doing other things causes brain fatigue.
Even so, they are a good prompt to think about just how much we are processing at the same time in everyday life.
Make Time to Do Just One Thing
The computer while working.
The smartphone while on the move.
Social media during breaks.
All day long, our attention is constantly directed at something.
That’s exactly why, every now and then, you might try to
put your phone away when you walk,
keep screens out of sight during meals,
and, when you take a break, simply rest instead of looking at something.
Why not consciously make time like this to do just one thing?
At La HEAD, in a calm, fully private room, you can step away from your smartphone, close your eyes and let us slowly care not only for your head but also for your neck, shoulders and arms.
Moving on to the next thing while still doing something else.
Looking at more information the moment we have a spare minute.
Now that living this way has become the norm, time spent doing nothing, or giving yourself over to just one thing, may be more valuable than ever.
In the middle of your busy days, try setting aside some time when your mind doesn’t have to take on the next task.