“The mobile phone is a bit like God – it’s omnipresent.”
A girl on the radio recently exclaimed that her mobile phone is her best friend, and she cannot live without it. Well, some others may be unable to poop without it. Do you want to guess what their favorite apps would be? Maybe it’s Toilet Time, a series of mini games to play in the bathroom; or is it Poop Analyzer, which allows you to scan your fingers to analyze the poop type?; or maybe the prank app Pee Button, which tricks someone with peeing sounds; or is it Pooductive, an app which lets one chat with strangers on the pot across the globe, which they claim aids poo-ductive ideas flow?
These are surely no exaggerations, nine out of ten people admit to having used the mobile phone in the bathroom and a not-so-surprising 43% do so regularly. Some play games, nearly 92% access social media, while few others text, mail and answer calls. 31% even stay longer in the bathroom when they use their phones. One might argue that mobile phone usage in the bathroom is hardly required, consider some very practical reasons;95% people do not wash their hands properly after using the bathroom and being absorbed in a game or on the internet would probably make them even less likely of washing, the handheld devices result in spreading germs from the bathroom at a faster rate. One in six phones has fecal bacteria and few people accidently baptize their phones, God bless you if you already did!
The toilet seat is the best seat in the house, for some a creativity cell, a decision-making hub or a quiet road to one’s inner sanctum Santorum. And it may not be necessary to entertain pinging apps when in the middle of business. Many famous celebrities, artists and scientist assert that they get their most innovative ideas while in the bathroom, the Archimedean “Eureka!”. Fewer distractions could also help bring about creativity in our thinking. Some neuroscience studies have explored how taking a shower boosts creativity. Interesting studies (1983, 2012) conducted on bathroom wall graffiti help gain creative understanding into the human mind and various evolutionary gender differences. Hence, bathroom wall graffiti and not Candy Crush, is considered more creative.
Our toilet time gives us vast opportunities to explore ourselves with deep thoughts on life, happiness, and people. A research study has linked positive self reflections and self insight with wellbeing, and implementing it in everyday life would perhaps better our mental health. Needless to say, various studies have shown the importance of “Me Time”, which is important for work and home wellbeing. This time can help us discover ourselves, what we really like to do and also boost our wellness in various spheres of life. After all, the Chamber of Secrets was through the bathroom, wasn’t it?
Many of us have busy schedules, we are constantly bombarded with information on our phones and each of us needs some time away from the phone. Various research studies on stress recovery, multi-tasking have shown the benefits of “rest periods”, the downtime our brains require. This unplugging would be best if followed as a routine and toilet time probably gives us an opportunity to practice this. Nature has designed a system for this process to unfold, probably that’s the reason why they call it the “nature’s call”!
So leave your phone behind, when visiting the loo next time!
Akshata Kulkarni
