Exploring the impact of temperature perception and fear of missing out on distracted walking.

• It explores reasons for distracted walking caused by maladaptive smartphone usage. • It used mixed methods (observational and pre-registered online studies). • Participants were recruited from the US, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. • Perceptions of warm temperatures enhance distracted walking. • Warm temperatures enhance the feeling of FOMO, leading to distracted walking. This research explores the impact of technology on distracted walking behavior. The authors hypothesize that perceptions of warm temperatures cause people to feel fears of missing out (FOMO) by amplifying heightened concerns about missed social opportunities, leading to more distracted walking behavior resulting from maladaptive smartphone usage. One observational study and two pre-registered online studies (N = 1242) utilizing population samples from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia demonstrate that as temperatures increase (decrease), individuals experience heightened (reduced) feelings of FOMO, leading to higher (lower) distracted walking caused by maladaptive smartphone usage. Policy implications for public safety are discussed, along with research directions for further examining relationships between temperature perceptions and distracted walking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]