First, there was nothing to take with you.
Then it was books, newspapers, and comics.
But today, it's probably the phone that most people take with them if they need something to pass the time while sitting on the toilet.
Maybe you're even reading this article while answering nature's call.
According to Pensionist, NordVPN conducted a survey among nearly 10,000 adults, and here a full 65 percent answer that they sit with their phone when they answer nature's call.
In fact, it's those aged 26-41 who sit most with their phone, and the youngest group (18-25 years) comes in second.
Furthermore, it is confirmed that Spain is the country where people often sit with their phone. Here, about 80 percent answered that they use their phone to keep themselves busy.
But in these times, when experts talk about possible addiction to our phones, we should perhaps consider leaving the phone in the living room when we go to the toilet.
If not for the sake of your mental health, then for your physical health.
That's why it's bad
It can actually be directly harmful to you to take your phone to the toilet - and the reason is that we usually spend significantly more time in the bathroom if we have our phone with us.
Gastroenterologist Roshini Raj from NYU Langone tells the media Launcher that you should not sit out there for more than a handful of minutes.
"You don't want to spend more than about 10 minutes," says Roshini.
He further explains that you risk getting hemorrhoids and swollen veins if you sit too long on the toilet - and that's not something you want, as it can be extremely painful.
But it probably wouldn't be as harmful for us to sit long on the toilet if it weren't for the shape of the porcelain bowl.
When we sit on the toilet, the actual anorectal area hangs a little lower than the part that is supported - your thighs, explains Roshini.
"Simply because of this position, gravity causes everything to hang a bit, and that puts pressure on the veins."
"So even if you're not straining but just sitting there thinking about something else or doing something else, there's a certain pressure on your veins."
