It turns out that scrolling through your phone while on the loo could be seriously bad for your health.
New research has found that people who use smartphones on the toilet face a 46 per higher risk of developing haemorrhoids compared to those who leave their devices outside the bathroom.
The study discovered that phone users spend far longer sitting on the toilet than they should. While doctors recommend keeping bathroom visits to just three to five minutes, many of us are guilty of losing track of time while catching up on social media or reading the news in what's become our modern-day sanctuary.
A study of 125 adults getting screening colonoscopies has revealed just how common this habit has become, after two-thirds of those surveyed admitted they regularly take their phones into the bathroom with them.
Sitting on an open toilet compresses the rectal area and causes blood to pool
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The time difference is striking. Among smartphone users, 37 per cent spent more than five minutes on the toilet, while only seven per cent of those who didn't bring their phones stayed that long.
Most people used their devices to browse news (54 per cent) or check social media (44 per cent).
"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," said Dr Trisha Pasricha, the study's senior author and a gastroenterologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre in Boston.
The problem isn't just about time spent sitting. When you're perched on an open toilet seat, your bottom sits lower than on a regular chair, and there's no support for your pelvic floor.
"When you're sitting on an open toilet bowl, you have no pelvic floor support," Dr Pasricha explained.
This position compresses the rectal area and causes blood to pool, which can lead to those painful, swollen veins we know as haemorrhoids.
Making matters worse, people tend to hunch forward when looking at their phones. This poor posture makes it harder for your body to do what it needs to do, as the angle between your rectum and colon becomes less ideal for bowel movements.
The good news is that avoiding this problem is simple. Doctors suggest leaving your phone outside the bathroom entirely, but if you can't resist bringing it along, try setting a timer to keep visits brief.
"A lot of expert consensus is three minutes per bowel movement, but everyone is different," said Dr Sandhya Shukla, a gastroenterologist at Atlantic Coast Gastroenterology Associates.
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Scrolling on the toilet has become a common habit
| GETTYIf you find yourself mindlessly scrolling, Dr Pasricha recommends checking in after watching two TikTok videos. If nothing's happening, it's better to get up and try again later rather than sit and wait.
What are the symptoms of haemorrhoids?
According to the NHS, haemorrhoids trigger an array of symptoms, including bright red blood after passing stool.
Some people report feeling like they still need to open their bowels after going to the toilet. In certain cases, haemorrhoids can leave mucus in the underwear or on the toilet paper.
They often get better on their own after a few days and can be treated by drinking plenty of water and eating a good amount of fibre.