08 October 2023 , 15:00
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Sending a text or having a quick scroll on your phone while sat on the toilet comes with a myriad of health risks, an expert has warned, and it's something that too many people are doing.
It might be a seemingly "harmless" habit when you find yourself unthinkingly watching a video, checking your emails or scrolling through social media to relieve the boredom of your time on the toilet, but one Harvard trained stomach doctor is begging the public to stop - or at the very least adapt their phone usage whilst visiting the bathroom.
Dr Sethi explains that "it can actually have some serious consequences," especially whilst doing a "number two". According to the health expert, the habit "can lead to prolonged sitting on the toilet, which can cause strain and pressure on your rectum and anus. This can lead to issues such as hemorrhoids, anal fissures and even rectal prolapse."
In a video on Tiktok, the expert advises that these aren't the only risks that come from using your phone on the toilet, because it can also make your device a "breeding ground for bacteria". Dr Sethi added: "The average smartphone is dirtier than a public toilet seat, so try avoiding scrolling while using the toilet".
However, Dr Sethi notes, if your phone addiction is so strong you can't manage to leave it outside the bathroom, "at least have a disinfectant around to clean the phone after your done with the business." For over a decade research has proven that our phones are hotbed for germs, with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine finding in 2011 that one in six phones had faecal matter on them.
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Over 65% of adults take the phone into the toilet with them, an international study found last year. The country that reported the highest phone usage whilst on the toilet was Spain, at nearly 80%, and the lowest was Germany at just under 55%.
There was a generational divide found in those who spend time scrolling whilst taking a loo break, with those aged 26-41 the most likely to take part in the bacteria ridden habit, closely followed by 18-25 year old people.
There's also another drawback that Dr. Sethi doesn't mention in his video: mindlessly scrolling whilst in the bathroom makes you far likelier to drop your device into the toilet itself. A fifth of respondents in the United States admitted that they had dropped their phone into the toilet - a germ nightmare.
So while your health is the most important reason not to spend time scrolling on the toilet, there are also practical considerations that make it better to avoid entirely too.
Do you use your phone in the bathroom? Let us know in the comments below.