Multitasking: two-thirds of Dutchies use their phones while on the toilet

Even if you don’t want to admit it, a survey by NordVPN has revealed that 64% of Dutch people use their smartphones while nature calls.

Yep, forget memorising the toilet birthday calendar. The Dutch would much rather make use of their hands and stay up to date on what’s happening (and hopefully not keep everyone else updated on their current activities.) 👀

Bathroom statistics

Social media and reading news seem to be the most popular smartphone activities in the WC (water closet). According to the survey, 55% of bathroom smartphone users check social media accounts, while a little over a third of users read or listen to the news (38%).

A further 26% of Dutchies apparently check emails and messages from Microsoft Teams or Slack — the grind never stops, does it. 🤷🏻

Of course, when the Dutch work hard, they play hard. Of those surveyed 26% said they also play games whilst on the toilet. 🕹

On the rarer side, some surveyed users make calls or texts (wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of one of those calls).

Some Dutchies even watch videos, movies and TV, shop online, and plan their day out — all whilst on the loo.

Drop in the toilet

The habit is not without its risks. The Netherlands are the second clumsiest with their phone (after the USA), with 17% of users saying they’ve dropped their phones in the toilet water.

Let’s just hope it was before anyone relieved themselves. 😬

A slightly darker hazard: Daniel Markuson, a privacy expert at NordVPN, says Dutch people spend on average 21 years of their life on social media, almost one-third of their lives.

The Dutch are average??

It seems like a hefty number of Dutchies are using their phones while doing their business.

And it’s fair to be disgusted. However, this proportion of people is apparently fairly average when comparing phone use among 11 countries, says RTL Nieuws.

Does this study surprise you? Why or why not? Tell us what you think in the comments!

Feature Image:Depositphotos
Katrien Nivera 🇵🇭
Katrien Nivera 🇵🇭
Third culture kid Katrien has been working as a writer and editor at DutchReview for over two years, originally moving to the Netherlands as a tween. Equipped with a Bachelor’s in communication and media and a Master’s in political communication, she’s here to stay for her passion for writing, whether it’s current Dutch affairs, the energy market, or universities. Just like the Dutch, Katrien lives by her agenda and enjoys the occasional frietje met mayo — she just wishes she could grow tall, too.

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