Don't sit and scroll: SA warned about phone use on the toilet

It’s become a regular occurrence for most South Africans to take their phones with them when they go to use the bathroom. But experts are warning that sitting and scrolling on the toilet is bad news.
Image credit: on Pexels
Image credit: Miriam Alonso on Pexels

Recent research from the UK suggests the habit is now mainstream.

Harmful habit

The Toilet Troubles report found that 38% of people in the UK use their mobile phone on the toilet, clocking up an average of 17 minutes a week perched on the pan with a device in hand.

Almost half (48%) admit to “multitasking” in the bathroom, often with phones, tablets, and even game consoles.

Separate research by Initial Washroom Hygiene shows a similar picture at work, with around a third (32%) of office workers in the UK using their smartphones in the office washroom – most commonly for Facebook, WhatsApp, playing games and emails.

Now, new science is suggesting that this downtime habit isn’t so harmless.

A 2025 study in PLOS One found that people who use their smartphone while sitting on the toilet are 46% more likely to have haemorrhoids than those who leave their phone outside.

In the study, 66% of adults admitted to using their phone on the loo, and phone users were far more likely to sit there for longer than five minutes – the extra time on the seat appears to be the key risk factor, as it increases pressure on the veins in the anal area.

Haemorrhoids

Haemorrhoids aren’t just uncomfortable – they can have a real impact on everyday life.

Swollen veins around the bottom can lead to pain, itching and bleeding, making it harder to sit, work, exercise or sleep comfortably.

In more serious cases, they can swell further or form clots, which can be extremely painful and may need medical treatment.

Perhaps most worrying, people often assume any bleeding is “just piles” and put off seeing a doctor, which risks missing other, more serious problems that also need prompt attention.

“Games are designed to keep you engaged for ‘just one more level’ – but on the toilet that can translate into 10 or 15 minutes of unnecessary strain,” says a spokesperson for PlayCasino.com.

“We want people to enjoy gaming, not quietly wreck their backsides in the process.”

Germs on devices

It’s not only about piles.

Our phones themselves are becoming tiny, germ-covered souvenirs of our bathroom habits.

A UK-wide study by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine found that one in six mobile phones in the UK is contaminated with faecal matter, most likely because people don’t wash their hands properly after using the toilet.

More recent testing by Initial Washroom Hygiene showed the average smartphone carries more than double the biological matter of a toilet seat, with some phones measuring over six times as much contamination.

“In simple terms, if you’re scrolling on the loo, there’s a good chance you’re taking the toilet with you in your pocket – and then pressing it against your face,” the PlayCasino.com spokesperson adds.

Poor posture

Posture is another hidden issue.

Reviews of smartphone use and musculoskeletal health consistently link prolonged, slumped phone use with neck, shoulder and upper back pain.

One meta-analysis found that smartphone overuse is significantly associated with neck pain, while broader reviews show that long periods of seated, screen-based behaviour dramatically increase the risk of neck problems.

On the toilet, users are rarely sitting upright with ergonomic support – they’re hunched over, elbows on knees, head forward, engrossed in games or social feeds.

Add the extra minutes encouraged by mobile gaming and endless scrolling, and the bathroom becomes a daily micro-dose of “tech neck”.

Players are asked to adopt a simple rule: no phones on the throne – or, at the very least, a strict “under five minutes, no gaming” limit in the bathroom.


 
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