Doctor has gross warning for women who doomscroll whilst pooping
Topics: Women's Health, Health, Advice, Social Media, Technology
Rhianna Benson
Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Images
Topics: Women's Health, Health, Advice, Social Media, Technology
Women guilty of bringing their phones to the loo when going 'No 2' have been issued a stern warning from a GP.
For many of us, an extended bathroom break can provide a much-needed escape from the bustling realities of everyday life.
Some people use the passing of stools as an opportunity to rattle through a few pages of their book; some fill in their crossword puzzle whilst metaphorically 'dropping off the kids'. Others, meanwhile, doomscroll while they poop.
It turns out, however, that doomscrolling from the comfort of the toilet seat might pose a risk to the brain but also to the body.
For any non-Gen-Z readers, doomscrolling describes the habit of excessively consuming content on social media and online news feeds - a process driven by our brain's natural negativity bias and addictive algorithmic rewards.
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Given that loo breaks provide an isolated, uninterrupted space for social media algorithms to work their magic and trigger dopamine hits, it's no wonder so many of us take our phones with us when we're passing stools.
It's a practice that many wellbeing experts are passionately against for some time now, however, given the impact that prolonged exposure to often negative news can have on the mind's 'threat detection' system. There are also proven harms that doomscrolling can inflict on anxiety and stress levels.
As we say, however, feeling enraptured by the contents of your mobile phone might be having a detrimental effect on a person's physical health, as well as their mental dexterity - and apparently, this is especially the case for women.
According to Dr Susanna Unsworth, a Women’s Health Expert for the intimate wellness brand Intimina, doomscrolling on the toilet significantly increases your risk of developing often irreversible pelvic floor issues.
As she explained to Tyla this week, the wide opening of a toilet bowl lacks solid support, causing your pelvic floor and surrounding tissue to sag under gravity's pull when you sit on it for an extended period, scrolling endlessly through Instagram reels.
The same practice could also result in prolapse for some women, as well as the emergence of piles.
"Regularly sitting on the toilet for prolonged periods, particularly if combined with straining, can increase pressure on the pelvic floor and may contribute to issues such as haemorrhoids, pelvic floor weakness or prolapse symptoms over time," Dr Unworth began.
She added that this is 'especially' the case 'after pregnancy or around the menopause'.
You might have guessed already, but it's not just doomscrolling on the loo that Dr Unsworth says could trigger discomfort down below - in fact, it's any prolonged activity carried out whilst sitting on the toilet.
"Spending too long sitting on the toilet after you have finished weeing is not great for bladder habits or pelvic floor function either, as our bodies are really designed to empty the bladder and then get up again, rather than sitting for long periods," the expert continued.
Thankfully, Dr Unsworth is sympathetic to the need to seek some relief while simultaneously going 'No. 2'.
While she does believe extensive screen time and extreme social media consumption are things to be moderated, she also had some pretty practical advice on keeping the pelvic floor in fact.
"That said, let’s be honest, for many women, the bathroom can sometimes feel like the only place to get five minutes of peace and quiet," she continued. "There is absolutely nothing wrong with taking a moment for yourself.
"But if you do need a breather, you are probably better off putting the lid down and taking a few minutes for yourself away from the doomscrolling instead."