If there’s one device that has changed our lives dramatically in the 21st century, it’s the smartphone. Just think of all the things we can do with our phones: take photos, send texts, watch football, find dates, set alarms, listen to podcasts, watch football, read articles, send cash, play games, and did I mention “watch football”?
Oh yeah, I almost forgot: our phones are also capable of making calls. But no one really wants to talk to anyone these days. Thankfully our phones have useful features such as “quick decline messages,” allowing us to respond to calls with a text that says: “Can I call you back later?” (Pro tip: it’s always better to use the word “later” rather than “soon,” because “later” just means “sometime in the future, while I am still alive.”)
Many people use their phones to scroll through videos and posts on TikTok, Instagram, Reddit and other sites. The cellphone is an incomparably portable entertainment device that can keep you occupied almost anywhere, whether you’re waiting for your number to be called at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) or sitting in church on Sunday, waiting for the pastor to finish a sermon that doesn’t apply to you — something about overcoming addiction.
Having an electronic tool that’s immensely portable is both a blessing and a curse. If your phone goes everywhere you go, what do you do with it when you’re doing your business? You take it with you, of course.
But using a phone while sitting on a toilet can be risky, according to a new study. It can put you at risk for something beginning with ‘H’ — and I don’t mean “hilarity.”
The study, published in the journal PLOS One and based on data from 125 adults who underwent colonoscopies at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, found that those who used their phones in the loo were 46 percent more likely to have hemorrhoids. If you do not know what hemorrhoids are, let me tell you … the word itself causes many Americans to tremble, as they remember the moment they were eliminated from the spelling bee contest.
Hemorrhoids are swollen veins that can cause a lot of discomfort, even worse than accidentally taking a photo of yourself in the bathroom — and then, while frantically searching for the delete button, hitting “share on Facebook” instead.
Cellphones can keep us from achieving our goals in a timely manner, even the ones in the loo. Dr. Trisha Pasricha, the study’s senior author, a gastroenterologist and director of the Gut-Brain Research Institute at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, blames this partly on social media.
“The entire business model of these social media apps is to distract us, make us lose track of time and addict us to the algorithm,” Pasricha told CNN.
Sitting too long on the toilet is what puts us at risk for hemorrhoids. We enter a public restroom expecting to be there for just three minutes, but several videos later, there’s a loud knock on the door.
“Sorry, I know the door says ‘occupied,’ but I’m just wondering what you’re occupied with.”
“It’s a cute cat video. Hang on, it’s almost over.”
About two-thirds of the 125 study participants said they use their phones in the loo. Among them, 37 percent spend more than five minutes doing their business, compared with just 7 percent of non-phone users.
It’s important to remember that sitting on a toilet is different from sitting on a chair, because the open seat does not provide enough support.
“When you’re sitting on an open toilet bowl, you have no pelvic floor support,” Pasricha said.
The best way to support your pelvic floor is to get off the toilet as soon as you've finished reading this column.
