Smartphones top the list for loo-based entertainment in Britain
Brits are shunning magazines and books and turning to technology products to keep entertained on the loo, according to the results of a new study.
Smartphones are the device of choice to provide entertainment while sitting on the throne for the majority of Brits, shows the research.
When questioned over four in ten (41%) of Brits revealed they regularly turn to technology to while away time spent on the toilet. Smartphones were identified as the preferred gadget of choice, cited by 65% of respondents to the study from PIXmania, an e-commerce website.
For nearly a quarter (22 %) of those questioned a tablet computer was cited as the preferred way to pass the time, while over one in ten (11%) opt for an e-reader.
Surfing the net was revealed as the most popular past time by more than half (51%) of those questioned, with news, sport and celebrity gossip websites most commonly visited.
The study also revealed that Brits are spending rather more than a penny whilst going to the loo, with over a quarter (26%) of respondents questioned revealing they had used the time to shop online.
Social networking was also shown to be a popular distraction by a quarter of respondents, while over a third (34%) had sent text messages while sitting on the throne.
Only a quarter of those questioned (25%) regularly took a magazine or book to the loo. Watching TV (17%) or reading a book (10%) were also identified as popular pastimes and one in ten revealed they had sent work emails from the loo.
Commenting on the findings, Ghadi Hobeika, marketing director at PIXmania, said: 'Portable technology devices have changed both how and when we entertain ourselves and it seems that what goes on behind closed doors is no exception to this.'
The trend was revealed after electronics retailer PIXmania questioned more than 2,000 customers to track the use of entertainment products in British homes.
