19 million Brits check out social media on the toilet

NEWSFLUSH: A report reveals a sizable chunk of the UK keeps up to date with their social media feeds whilst using the facilities.

According to research from NordVPN, 59% of people in the UK take their phones with them into the commode, and 62% of those, which it clocks at 19.3 million people, take the opportunity to check out Facebook, Twitter and Instagram whilst within the walls of the porcelain fortress of solitude.

If not checking their social media, 33.9% use the time within the lavatory to read or listen to the news, while 24.5% type messages or, more worryingly, make calls. Other activities the UK enjoys whilst in the lavatory include gaming (23.6%), online shopping 24%, and watching TV (23%).

18-25-year-olds are apparently the most likely to take out their phones in the privy, with 84% of generation Z confirming they do this, compared with 34.5% of baby boomers, which the report very specifically labels as those aged between 58 and 76.

On the whole men are more likely than women to take their phone into the WC, which may or may not be related to the stat that 19.1% of women admitted they had dropped their mobile in the toilet, whilst men were statistically less clumsy with only 13.5% fumbling their phones down the basin.

“Smartphones have gradually replaced books and newspapers when it comes to reading in the bathroom,” said Marijus Briedis, a digital privacy expert at NordVPN. “Yet it’s social media that Brits can’t keep their eyes off, even when spending a penny. Wherever you use your phone, it’s important to be aware of online cybersecurity risks, particularly if you’re not on your normal network. Using a VPN is a simple, low-cost way to protect your connection and privacy – and avoid getting caught with your trousers down.”

Meanwhile a separate report by Ofcom announced today reveals that teenagers are increasingly getting all their news from social media as opposed to traditional media outlets – in or out of the latrines.

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