This is why you should never sit on the toilet longer than 10 minutes

Going to the toilet is often the chance for people to have some time alone, whether it's reading a magazine or scrolling on social media during this break.

While a lot of us do this, we should watch the amount of time we spend on the loo and not scroll too much on the ol' For You page.

A study by NordVPN surveyed 9,800 adults and found that 65 per cent bring their phone along with them during a trip to the toilet, with 26-41-year-olds being the age group most likely to do this, followed by Gen Z (18-25-year-olds).

When it comes to countries, people in Spain are more likely to use their phone on the toilet - as 80 per cent surveyed admitted they take their device on this trip to entertain themselves.

However, spending too much time on the dunny can result in health problems, and there's a recommended amount of time that we shouldn't pass.

Scrolling on social media is a popular pastime while on the bog.iStockphoto by Getty Images

"You generally don’t want to spend more than about on average about 10 minutes," Dr. Roshini Raj, a gastroenterologist ( digestive system specialist) at NYU Langone told Launcher.

So what exactly happens in our body if we spend too long sitting on the toilet?

Well, these prolonged periods can result in hemorrhoids and pain in the anal area due to swollen veins while the toilet's design can also play a role in these health complications.

"Just by that position, gravity is causing everything to hang a bit, and that is causing pressure on the veins," she explained.

"So even if you’re not straining, if you’re just sitting there thinking of something else, doing something else, there is some pressure being applied to those veins."

While we can all agree, that using a phone on the toilet isn't exactly hygienic and so Dr Raj noted how this too can impact a person's health.

"I see a lot of people who get food poisoning or catch different things by not having good hygiene practices in the bathroom," she added.

"I just think generally speaking, if you’re on the toilet having a bowel movement or trying to have a movement, you shouldn’t be using your fingers on anything else."

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