A recent study discovered that six out of ten people take their smartphones to the toilet. The habit, however, can have serious health consequences. The study was conducted by NordVPN. 61.6 percent of participants in the study said that they take phones to the washroom to scroll through social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. While 33.9 percent of respondents admitted that they use smartphones in the toilet to get updated with current affairs.
In the study, 24.5 percent of participants admitted that they use the phone in the washroom to message or even call.
In a conversation with Yahoo Life UK, Dr. Hugh Hayden, an infection control specialist, said that smartphones can foster up to ten times more germs than toilet seats. Touchscreens, he stated, are the ‘mosquito of the digital age’ as they can carry infectious diseases.
“When we touch shared surfaces, then use our smartphone screen there is a risk of cross contamination, the phone itself then becomes a source of infection,” Dr Hayden said.
As per the Yahoo Like UK report, germs can survive on a smartphone screen for up to 28 days. This can turn touchscreen phones into a potential breeding ground for germs and pathogens.
The report also cites previous research papers which mentioned that Staphylococcus are some of the most commonly-found pathogens found on mobile phones These pathogens, it says, can then find their way into the body through contact with the mouth, eyes, or nose, leading to various health complications like respiratory and skin infections.
Using smartphones in the washroom doubles the chances of the smartphone getting infected with germs and pathogens. It is thus advisable to avoid taking mobile phones to the toilet.
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Updated: 02 Jul 2023, 05:05 PM IST
