Doomscrolling on a smartphone may be bad for mental health. But according to a colorectal surgeon at the University of Missouri, it may also cause problems on the other end of the body, too.
Spending time on a smartphone while using the restroom may lead to an increased incidence of hemorrhoids, swollen and inflamed blood vessels in the anus and lower rectum that can cause bleeding and pain.
"It's not your phone that's causing the hemorrhoids. It's the fact that you're just spending more time in the toilet," said Daniel Peyser, a colo-rectal surgeon at University of Missouri Health Care. "Recommendations from multiple society guidelines are showing that if you can avoid prolonged toilet time – spending time on the toilet, browsing your phone – that is beneficial."
The issue is caused when the veins are subjected to pressure and irritation – including from irregular bowel movements or constipation. A reported one in 20 people experience "bothersome" hemorrhoids, according to the National Institute of Health. They are more common in older people.
"Hemorrhoids are blood vessels," Peyser said. "They kind of act as cushions in the anal canal, and they can get engorged when you're sitting for prolonged periods of time, especially on an open toilet seat."
According to Peyser, two contributing factors come together when people scroll on their phones in the bathroom.
First, scrolling TikTok Shop or filling out the New York Times crossword puzzle on the toilet frequently makes people lose track of time – meaning they can spend 10 to 20 minutes on the toilet before getting back up.
Second, the shape of the toilet is a culprit as well. Unlike an office chair or car seat, the toilet's function necessitates a hole in the middle. Not only is one sitting on the toilet for a long time, they're sitting on a seat that by design has no support.
Taken together, the two factors can mean more prolonged strain. In short: a perfect situation to create hemorrhoids.
There's scant research on how bathroom scrolling affects rectal health. One small study from 2025 of 125 patients at a Boston hospital found that participants who used their phones while on the toilet spent significantly more time there – more than one-third of smartphone users spent more than five minutes per visit on the toilet, compared with 7% of no-smartphone users.
The researchers found that, after adjusting for age, weight and other factors, phone use on the toilet was associated with a 46% increase in the risk of hemorrhoids. Most people reported reading news sites, followed by social media scrolling.
"Take care of what you need to take care of, but you really shouldn't linger longer," Peyser said. "You shouldn't treat it like a lounge."
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