41% of Brits use a mobile device while on the potty

posted by Alan F.

Jul 18, 2013, 8:14 AM

41% of Brits use a mobile device while on the potty

Online retailer Pixmania conducted a survey of 2000 Brits to see what was going on behind the closed doors of...the bathroom. Or as they say in Britain, the loo. While sitting on the throne (remember, the country does have a Queen), 41% of Brits are using their Smartphone, tablet or eReader. A large majority of those using a gadget in the can, 65%, have a smartphone in their hand while 22% prefer a tablet to pass the time while on the toilet. 11% are happy just to grab their eReader and finish that novel that they started.

Shopping while on the toilet is something that 26% of those Brits surveyed admitted to. It seems like a strange place and time to decide that you really have to have that shirt or pair of new shoes. A majority of those using a mobile device in the bathroom, 51%, are surfing the web with news, sports and celebrity gossip web sites as the top destinations for those browsing the internet while in the bathroom.

For some reason, sitting on the potty reminds 25% of Brits that they need to check their social network sites while indisposed. An even larger percentage (34%) send text messages while doing their business. 10% have used the time to fire off an email for work.

Yes, things have really changed from the days before the cellphone became a necessity. Back then, a book or a magazine, or even a newspaper, would help pass the time away in the bathroom. Today, only 25% bring a magazine with them and just 10% take a physical book into the loo.

"Portable technology devices have changed both how and when we entertain ourselves and it seems that what goes on behind closed doors is no exception to this."-Ghadi Hobeika, Marketing Director, Pixmania.com

A separate study from Which? reveals that the average handset has 18 times the germs found on a toilet handle. A quarter of the phones were so dirty that they carried up to ten times the acceptable level of bacteria. One of the phones had such a high level of bacteria that continued use of the phone could have resulted in a stomach illness for its owner.

At 30 phones, the Which? survey was rather small, but did suggest that of the 63 million mobile phones currently used in the U.K., 14.7 million could be health hazards. In other words, you might want to think twice before borrowing someone's handset to make a call.

source: DailyMail

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19 Comments

18. samnote

Posts: 33; Member since: Mar 02, 2012

Before cellphone i do the crosswords puzzle while pooping :)

posted on Jul 19, 2013, 9:10 PM 0

17. quakan

Posts: 1419; Member since: Mar 02, 2011

How long are you guys on the toilet that you are able to sit there and use your phone? I sit, do business, get up, and flush...never am I there long enough to whip out my phone and do a task nor would I want to get my phone dirty like that.

posted on Jul 18, 2013, 10:03 PM 0

19. iWinDroid

Posts: 28; Member since: Jul 17, 2013

maybe IT sticks hard & they need to use their phones to kill some time :P

posted on Jul 20, 2013, 10:37 AM 0

16. iWinDroid

next phones will be PoopProof! :)

posted on Jul 18, 2013, 5:23 PM 0

14. Genersis

Posts: 219; Member since: May 29, 2013

Yuck, I sure hope that's *before* wiping their backsides at least....

posted on Jul 18, 2013, 11:41 AM 0

13. SonyPS4

Posts: 347; Member since: May 21, 2013

Thats why 39% GS2 owner buy Xperia Z because it is waterproof

posted on Jul 18, 2013, 9:52 AM 1

10. papss unregistered

Gross..

posted on Jul 18, 2013, 9:22 AM 1

9. sss_ddk

Posts: 76; Member since: Mar 05, 2013

The other 59% still carry their TV, Game console and cables. What a mess!!

posted on Jul 18, 2013, 9:19 AM 1

8. aditya.k

Posts: 496; Member since: Mar 10, 2013

And the rest 59% lied! :D

posted on Jul 18, 2013, 9:13 AM 1

7. deburocks

Posts: 126; Member since: Apr 20, 2013

hahaha divided by countries ,united by wierd habits... Lol... And i used to think im d only one......SO Indians are nt the only one. Hehe.....

posted on Jul 18, 2013, 8:57 AM 0

6. chunk1x

Posts: 248; Member since: Jun 25, 2011

Slow and crappy news day.

posted on Jul 18, 2013, 8:41 AM 1

5. PAPINYC

Posts: 2315; Member since: Jul 30, 2011

When I'm on the loo, I also treat myself to some High Tea and Crumpets, or as I like to say, "Dumpets."

posted on Jul 18, 2013, 8:40 AM 0

4. tech2

Posts: 3487; Member since: Oct 26, 2012

*raises his hand

posted on Jul 18, 2013, 8:37 AM 0

12. RaKithAPeiRiZ

Posts: 1488; Member since: Dec 29, 2011

All the NSA hears are fart sounds

posted on Jul 18, 2013, 9:38 AM 2

3. xperiaDROID

Posts: 5629; Member since: Mar 08, 2013

After a few years, potties will have dual speakers with Boomsound technology, and NFC. So we can use our smartphones to play our favorite songs on it while we're making "chocolate".