Poll: When walking do you focus on the ground or far ahead?

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I walk for an hour on the same route nearly every day. It's occurred to me before that I focus on the ground in front of me and look up to look around far less often. In that respect I'm fairly unaware of my surroundings or what might be going on in the periphery. I think I focus more so on the ground because I'm looking for obstacles that I might encounter and have to negotiate (e.g. uneven cracks in the sidewalk, dog poop, etc.)

I'm wondering if that's a trait that others share.

I do look ahead but when people walk by I look down because I don't want to see them staring at me in my periphery (my periphery vision is bigger when I look ahead).

No options for "Both / Alternately" and "Neither / Middle-Distance".

When I'm alone I look at the ground but when I'm around other people I just kind of blankly stare off into the distance. I guess maybe it's to try to see a little more "normal"?

I do both to be honest.

I like details, especially words. When walking down the street, I am reading all signs, street names, etc. And definitely avoid looking at people.

Always down. Didn't even know I was doing it until someone in college said, Why do you always walk with your head down???

I can change it up now. But that certainly is my default setting.

I tend to look at the ground more.

I always look at the ground when I'm walking.

I focus on the ground in front of me more.

I tend to look down. I have a rare low vision disorder thou & had to learn how to use a cane because of the fact I look down but I really don't think I look down cuz of vision issues. I think it's more of an anxiety habit & I looked down even when I was using the cane weather I was blindfolded or not.

Apparently I look down a lot. Once when I was walking an acquaintance drove by and noticed me. Later he asked me if I had lost something or just what it was I was looking for. So after that I try to look up as much as I can and just look down enough to keep from stepping in a ditch or tripping over something. But its quite a challenge.

I mostly look down so that I can think of other things and still notice obstacles easily. This is more important on my skinny-tire bicycle, and the posture encourages it. When I'm planning to go somewhere scenic, I make a point of examining the horizon for a few minutes every day to sharpen my distance vision. I look up enough for route planning and to catch pretty sights, but I'd rather stop if it is really scenic. Driving, I have to remember to scan for deer.

I always look down or just a little bit in front of me. I've had people, mostly my mom, make note of it (my mom has even used it as a way to describe me to others, and only told me about it after the fact ). But on the plus side, I can count on one paw the number of times I remember ever having stepped in anything icky (poop, gum, etc.), because I usually see it - and I also move insects, worms, and other small animals off of the sidewalk so they won't get stepped on, dry out, etc. And I look just far enough ahead on the ground that I see obstacles before I would walk into them or anything. So I don't see any reason to change it.

Depends on the location. If the terrain is rather uneven I look at it, after all, I don't wish to trip over roots, logs, etc. But if the terrain allows it, then I will tend to search the horizon to make sure that I am not walking in the wrong direction.