Rise of the Toilet Texters

I was reading an Entertainment Weekly (in the bathroom, hopefully that isn't TMI) and on the bulls-eye page it mentioned Toilet Texters. Therefore I was intrigued and found that an article was printed in the New York Times called "The Rise of the Toilet Texters." Below is a synopsis of the article published. Are you a closeted toilet texter? I'm not, I'm old school, I keep magazines in the bathroom.

We know where some of you are reading this.

A recently released survey of the mobile phone habits of Americans, going where few other surveys care to go, has found that 75 percent of the populace have used their mobile devices while on the toilet. Among those aged 28 to 35, the figure is 91 percent.

The survey of 1,000 people by the marketing agency 11mark found that private contemplation has given way to toilet-time talking, texting, shopping, using apps, or just surfing the Web, by both sexes and most ages. Among those 65 and older, however, only 47 percent have used their mobile devices on the toilet.

Chip Litherland for The New York TimesTexting, though, is fine.

It gets weirder. One-quarter of Americans say they will not go to the bathroom without their devices. While 63 percent have answered calls, 41 percent have called someone else while enthroned. Sixteen percent in the 28-to-35 group, the youngest sample surveyed, have made purchases there. A mere 8 percent of the oldest group have felt such retail urgency. Understandably, given their infrequent chances at privacy, people with children are more likely to talk on the phone than are the childless. Single people are far more likely than the mated to text.

Hope you are sitting down for this: 20 percent of males have at one time joined a conference call from the toilet. Thirteen percent of American women have participated in meetings from the john. That is every fifth male co-worker, and every eighth female colleague. Be grateful that location-based tracking is not yet so prevalent. Be worried about the rise of video on mobile devices. Ignore all background noises. Really.

This is, in a sense, a testimony to our collective passion for communication and contact over all other needs, and a lesson in how quickly ideas of decorum adjust to the times. It is also a decent read on brand-related habits. If someone is making or taking calls while on the toilet, they are most likely using a BlackBerry. Using an app or playing on Facebook most often is done on an iPhone. And in general, Android owners are more likely than owners of other phones to use them on the toilet.

This was taken from the website http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/30/the-rise-of-the-toilet-texter/