Survey: 42 per cent of Austrians use their mobile phones on the toilet

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According to a survey, 42 percent of Austrians use their mobile phones to pass the time on the toilet.

The figure is slightly higher for our neighbors in Switzerland (45 percent) and significantly higher in Italy (63 percent), according to a YouGov survey commissioned by online retailer Galaxus. Of those Austrians who use their smartphones on the toilet, 17 percent always do so, 29 percent often, 44 percent occasionally, and one in ten only rarely.

Study on mobile phone use in the toilet
People in Germany and France were also asked about their mobile phone use in the bathroom. Galaxus announced that 2,547 people aged 15 and over took part in the representative survey, of which 500 were in Austria. Across all respondents in the five countries, the younger people are the ones who use their mobile phones more often in the loo. Around seven out of ten (71 percent) of the under-30s do this, compared to only 24 percent of the 60-plus generation.

More than one in two men (52 percent), but only four in ten women (43 percent) in the five countries surveyed use their smartphones while sitting on the toilet. 67 percent of mobile phone users consume social media such as Facebook, TikTok, or Instagram while on the toilet. Exactly four in ten (40 percent) read, listen to, or watch the news. Chatting via WhatsApp, Threema, etc., is almost as popular (37 percent). One in three (33 percent) read or write emails on the toilet, and 30 percent play mobile games.

According to the press release, scratches on the smartphone or the mobile phone cover can easily harbor germs. Therefore, mobile phones and hands should be cleaned regularly, as advised.