After Shashi Tharoor's staircase stumble, neurologist warns of phone use while walking
The video has shifted attention from a momentary stumble to a larger neurological truth, the human brain struggles to safely multitask while navigating something as deceptively complex as stairs.
A video of MP Shashi Tharoor stumbling while walking down a staircase and speaking on the phone has sparked conversation online.
But the moment itself highlights a much larger and often misunderstood issue which is that such incidents are rarely about clumsiness, age, or carelessness. They are about how the human brain manages attention and movement.
Neurologist Dr Sudhir Kumar, who discussed the issue in a post on X (@hyderabaddoctor), descending stairs is far more complex than most people realise.
“Walking downstairs may feel routine, but neurologically it is one of the most demanding tasks we perform every day.”
Unlike walking on flat ground, going downstairs requires the brain to constantly evaluate depth, distance, timing, and balance. Research published in Gait and Posture shows that the brain must calculate precise foot placement, shift the body’s center of gravity forward, and continuously update visual-spatial information. Much of this happens automatically but it still depends heavily on focused attention.
That’s where phone use becomes risky.
“When a person is on the phone, the brain’s attentional resources are no longer fully available for movement,” Dr Kumar explains.
A phone conversation is cognitively demanding. It engages language processing, memory recall, emotional interpretation, and response planning. NIH research on dual-task interference shows that these mental processes draw on the same neural networks such as the prefrontal cortex and basal ganglia, that are essential for safe navigation in complex environments.
“As attention shifts to the conversation, reaction time slows by up to 200 milliseconds, and the brain’s ability to make instant corrective movements is reduced.”
On stairs, that delay can be critical.
THE HIDDEN RISK OF MULTITASKING
“A slight misjudgment in foot placement or a delayed balance correction, something the brain would normally fix automatically, may go uncorrected for just long enough to cause a stumble.”
Often, there is no time to recover. Gravity takes over.
In India alone, AIIMS estimates more than one million stair-related falls every year, many linked to distraction.
Drawing from his clinical experience, Dr Kumar stresses that the consequences are frequently underestimated.
“Some of the most serious head injuries I treat do not come from road accidents or high-impact trauma,” he notes, echoing findings reported in The Lancet Neurology.
“They occur after simple falls at home, in public buildings, or on staircases.”
A brief lapse in attention, a missed step, and a head hitting a hard surface can result in concussions, brain injury, and long-term cognitive issues such as persistent brain fog.
This is why using a phone while walking, especially while descending stairs, crossing roads, or navigating uneven ground is not a harmless habit.
“The brain is not designed to safely divide its focus between complex movement and a cognitively engaging task. Multitasking in these situations is an illusion.”
The advice, Dr Kumar says, is simple but crucial:
“Pause the call. Look at the steps. Hold the railing. Resume the conversation once you are stationary and safe.”
For added safety, he also suggests using phone features like ‘Do Not Disturb While Walking’ or AI-powered gait and fall-alert apps that warn users of missteps.
“These small pauses protect something far more valuable than any notification or message.”
Your brain is precious. It deserves your full attention, especially when one wrong step is all it takes.