Ew, cell phones!

We all use our cell phones all day, checking it at least every hour. First thing when you wake up, last thing before you go to bed, as well as using it while eating, and even when we go to the bathroom. I know you do. However, it’s rare that we think about the nastiness of touching our phones all day and taking them everywhere.

Our hands carry tons of bacteria, which is transferred to our phone every time we touch it. According to TIME Health and Research, scientists at the University of Arizona found that cell phones carry 10 times more bacteria than toilet seats. However, these bacteria are natural bacteria from our hands, and are very unlikely to get you sick. StateFoodSafety Resources also says that our phones have 25,127 bacteria per square inch, (again, likely not harmful) which is more than toilet seats, kitchen counters, pet food dishes, checkout screens, and doorknobs. Doorknobs seem pretty gross, considering everyone touches them, but phones are three times as dirty. We touch those to our faces. Seriously. 

USA Today says that Streptococcus, MRSA, and even E. coli have been found on smartphones as well. Additionally, researchers at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine found that one out of every six smartphones has fecal matter on it. So your phone is basically a toilet. The reason is obvious. Throughout the day, we touch keyboards, door handles, ATM machines, steering wheels, plenty of surfaces that multiple people touch every day besides us. So we transfer bacteria from every surface on earth to our hands, to our phones. 

Overall, while your phone likely won’t negatively affect your health or give you Covid-19, it’s still pretty gross to be touching all day, especially to your face. To stay safe, you should probably invest in a cell phone sanitizer, or at least clean it with whatever method you see fit. You don’t want fecal matter or E.coli on your face.