Similar to the bizarre toilets on this list, our bathroom habits can be equally interesting. It’s no secret that some of us—more than 65%—take our phones while going to the restroom. To find out more, NordVPN has carried out a whole study on this. From all the countries surveyed, it looks like the Spaniards need technological distraction the most, with nearly 80% of respondents using their phones on the toilet. Germany comes at the end of the list, with 54% (still quite a lot) of their citizens using smartphones on the loo. Additionally, this was the most common among Millennials, closely followed by Gen Z.

By far the most popular activity while sitting on the toilet is scrolling through social media (53.4% of participants). Weirdly, it’s the least popular among Lithuanians, who prefer to spend time reading or listening to the news. Out of all countries, Canada loves gaming the most, with nearly 40% of respondents spending their time playing in the restroom. Americans are the friendliest and are most likely to call or message their loved ones while on the toilet. Some stay productive, with Germans and Australians choosing this time to plan their day the most.

Unfortunately, people in the USA tend to be the clumsiest—20.4% of respondents admitted to having dropped their phone into the toilet. Second place goes to the Netherlands, with 16.9% of unlucky respondents bathing their phones in loo water. Lithuanians and Germans are the most graceful, with only 10% of them saying they have let their devices slip.

While it might seem like the ultimate time to multitask, scrolling on your phone in a restroom has been found to be one of the most annoying bathroom habits. 60% get frustrated when a family member or a housemate occupies the bathroom by reading the news or playing games.

However, some things in the toilet are indeed threatening us. Almost half of us (at least in the US) have never cleaned our phones, so imagine how many germs could be living on them, especially if we take them with us to the bathroom. Plastics in our smartphones can hide and transfer bacteria and viruses, such as the common cold virus, which can live there for up to a week. While some of them are harmless, others can cause skin breakouts or even more serious conditions, like food poisoning and influenza.

People with weaker immune systems are advised to get into the habit of cleaning their devices on a regular basis. It’s best to wipe them at least once a day with an antibacterial wipe and don't let others touch them to minimize the spread of germs. We don’t need to give up the phone in the bathroom, but spending less time on the toilet and practicing good hand hygiene is necessary. Doctors emphasize that washing your hands is one of the most powerful steps you can take to prevent the spread of bacteria and illnesses. They should be cleaned at least five times a day, as well as every time you use the bathroom.

Oddly enough, scientists have come up with a way to really see how bacteria and other particles spread while using a bathroom. They set up green laser beams over a toilet without a lid, positioned cameras a few feet away, dimmed the lights, and flushed. The illuminated particles came out spraying like a rocket. Their eerie green videos show how fast and far contamination flies in public bathrooms, possibly putting their users at risk of getting sick.

Based on these findings, bathroom creators may want to adjust their designs or install better ventilation or disinfection systems to prevent the spread of germs. Surely, you’re wondering if closing the lid is enough. Well, the American Institute of Physics in 2021 found that it helps to decrease the spread of bacteria but doesn’t eliminate them completely. Droplets can still escape between the cover and the seat.

Ironically, the goal of the toilet is to get rid of waste, but it’s also doing the opposite—spraying contaminated particles on our bathroom walls and ceilings, including our phones. It’s something we can’t see with our naked eyes, so it’s easy to think that it doesn’t exist. So next time you scroll through social media on the toilet, remember to close the lid and wash your hands so that you can ensure your bathroom remains a lot less threatening, unlike the ones on this list.