Using a smartphone on the toilet can increase the risk of developing hemorrhoids.
"Stop taking your smartphone to the bathroom, guys. Not good for you. It can increase your risk of hemorrhoids." (said at 1:04:29)
Observational research supports the claim that smartphone use on the toilet is associated with an increased risk of hemorrhoids, largely driven by prolonged sitting time. A cross-sectional study of adult patients undergoing screening colonoscopy found that smartphone users spent significantly more time on the toilet and had an adjusted 46% increased risk of endoscopically confirmed hemorrhoids compared to non-users, after controlling for age, sex, BMI, physical activity, straining, and fiber intake. Because available evidence is based on observational and cross-sectional designs, the certainty of evidence is low.
- supports: Smartphone use on the toilet and the risk of hemorrhoids. (PloS one 2025)
"Furthermore, in a multivariate logistic regression, smartphone use on the toilet was associated with a 46% increased risk of hemorrhoids (p = 0.044) after adjusting for age, sex, BMI, exercise activity, straining and fiber intake." (abstract, results, passage verified)
pubmedfull study (doi) - context: Toilet behaviors and lifestyle factors in anorectal diseases: a cross-sectional analysis. (Frontiers in surgery 2025)
"They also had higher rates of constipation (>1/week: 18.9% vs. 5.7%; p < 0.001), back-to-front wiping (59.2% vs. 45.5%; p = 0.002), and prolonged toilet sitting (>20 min: 8.1% vs. 0.5%; p < 0.001)" (abstract, results, passage verified)
pubmedfull study (doi)