As someone who has had to get a replacement phone after dropping hers in the toilet… twice, I take great comfort in knowing I’m not alone in my shame.
Half of people in the UK – meaning more than 26.3 million adults – use their mobile phone while using the toilet, new research from Direct Line Home Insurance reveals.
And yes, 40% have accidentally dropped an item down the toilet or sink.
The researchers suggest that this proves that using expensive things such as phones in the bathroom is risky.
We reckon this is just proof we need some sort of wrist strap contraption to keep our mobiles safe from the toilet basin. Because truly, if you don’t take your phone with you for toilet trips, when else will you get a few uninterrupted moments to scroll Instagram or do that daily crossword app?
Along with the mobile phone use, many of us are taking our laptops and tablets into the bathroom, too.
And to be clear, this isn’t just to avoid leaving our electronics all lonely outside. We’re using these items as we do our bathroom business.
On average, people use their phone on the toilet for 12 minutes a day, the research found. Those who take their laptops into the bathroom tend to spend longer on the porcelain throne, averaging 20 minutes a day spent using a laptop in the bathroom.
It’s quite difficult to drop a laptop down the loo, but there is a risk of water damage when using computers near sinks and tubs.
And the study suggests that lots of us have lost or damaged items due to our toilet habits.
Direct Line says that in the last year alone, 1.8 million people have dropped their mobile phone down the toilet. Other frequently dropped items heading down sinks and toilets are jewellery, money, keys, debit and credit cards, and wrist watches.
Those who do drop their phones down the loo usually get them back, but they usually have to fork out for a replacement or repair. In 43% of cases, the phones dropped down the loo were damaged or broken.
These accidents have collectively cost Brits £2.4 billion in charges for fixing or replacing lost or broken items as a result of dropping them into the plumbing. This is in addition to the potential cost of calling out a plumber if the item has resulted in a burst pipe or blockage, which 2.4 million people have had to pay out for.
Dan Simson, Head of Direct Line Home Insurance, said: ‘As a nation we are so addicted to our mobile devices that we even take them to the toilet.
‘Alongside the health risk of using these devices on the lavatory, taking them to the bathroom will be is costly if they are dropped down the toilet or into the sink.
‘If this does happen, we advise people to check their home contents insurance policy to find out if they are covered for accidental damage, as this could save someone hundreds of pounds if needing to repair or replace an expensive item.’
Those tricks you might use to keep your phone in view and ‘secure’ while weeing aren’t recommended, either.
A few months back, YouTube channel 5 Minute Crafts suggested that people nestle their phone in the gusset of their underwear so they could scroll while sitting, which Insurance company So-sure warned against.
So-sure’s CEO Dylan told Metro.co.uk: ‘This is by all accounts a ridiculous gimmick and irresponsible as it could all too easily go wrong.
‘Underpants already serve a purpose and let’s face it, that’s not for holding expensive phones which could fall out and crack on the floor or down the toilet.
‘Besides who would really want to put their phone in their worn underpants!
‘You do often hear of people who have damaged their phones in toilets, usually dropping them down the toilet bowl.
‘The best advice is for people not to take their phone to the toilet in the first place.
‘If you’re in a public place like a restaurant or bar, keep your phone in a bag or secure pocket where it won’t fall out, but definitely not your pants!’
In short: We probably shouldn’t be taking our phones with us to the toilet, no matter how much iPhone separation anxiety you experience.
Not only is it pretty gross (think of the poo particles), but we’re risking the embarrassment and the cost of dropping an expensive phone down the loo. Oh, and using your phone in the bathroom might give you piles, too.
Perhaps it’s time to bring back the bathroom magazine rack for our on-toilet entertainment needs?
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source https://metro.co.uk/2020/02/12/half-us-admit-using-phones-toilet-12226116/
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