Online Reporter
B-Metro Reporter
THE toilet has quietly become Zimbabwe’s newest “office”, cinema and social club.
Forget rushing in and out. These days many people are spending up to 30 minutes glued to their phones while sitting on the toilet, scrolling through Facebook, TikTok, WhatsApp and X.
It is a habit that has sparked laughter online, annoyed family members and even raised alarm among health experts.
“I only wanted to reply to one message,” laughed Bulawayo resident Talent Moyo. “Before I knew it, I had watched five funny videos, checked football scores and replied to my work group. When I finally stood up, my legs were numb.”
He is far from alone.
Many Zimbabweans admit the bathroom has become the only place where they can escape noisy homes, demanding children or constant interruptions.
For university student Nokuthula Ncube, the toilet is now her “peace zone”.
“If everyone is making noise at home, I just disappear into the bathroom. Nobody bothers you there,” she joked.
But medical experts warn the trend may not be as harmless as it looks.
Doctors say sitting on the toilet for extended periods can increase pressure around the rectum, raising the risk of developing or worsening haemorrhoids, commonly known as piles. Poor posture while hunched over a phone can also contribute to lower back pain, neck strain and stiff joints.
There is also another hidden danger. The mobile phone itself can become a magnet for germs. Because many people rarely disinfect their devices, bacteria picked up in the bathroom can easily travel to dining tables, bedrooms and even kitchen counters.
Some parents are now fighting a daily battle to keep children from copying the habit.
“My son disappears into the toilet with his phone and comes out after almost an hour,” said one frustrated mother from Pumula. “Sometimes I think he has fallen asleep in there.”
Social media users, meanwhile, have turned the issue into comedy gold.
Memes joking about “VIP toilet meetings”, “executive bathroom breaks” and “boardroom decisions” have attracted thousands of reactions, with many confessing they have become serial bathroom scrollers.
Others say the habit reflects modern life’s pressures.
With work messages arriving around the clock and social media demanding constant attention, the toilet has become one of the few places where people feel they can disconnect from everyone else while ironically remaining connected to the online world.
Health experts have a simple message. Use the toilet for what it was designed for, keep bathroom visits short, avoid unnecessary scrolling and clean your phone regularly.
