When we think of sitting on the toilet we think of reading newspapers, magazines and graphic novels. It’s a human activity that has been going on since time immemorial. “To push” while going through some reading materials is probably one of life’s best moments. The toilet in your house in all likelihood is one of the cleanest places you know and you probably think that you deserve some moments there, which will be best spent if you have The Shining or Harry Potter or Batman Year One or any reading material that you want to go over.
But let’s face it we don’t want to have any physical contact with any of these books or magazines that just came out of the toilet because we are afraid of the bacteria in stool, urine and all that. And yet we don’t care if we touch the same tablet used by other family members who just came out of the toilet.
A study done by Staples Advantage suggests that at least 35 percent of tablet users bring the device into the toilet. Out of 200, 70 tablet users confirmed that one of the reasons why they bought an iPad is that they can carry it around wherever they go including restaurants, parks, and transport stations. Perhaps this is what they call, “One medium killing another.”
So the picture of a husband reading the newspaper in bed also went through some changes. This time instead of thumbing through the pages of the newspaper, the husband is now sliding his finger across the screen activating buttons. Around 75 percent of tablet users admit this is true.
With all these changes, the question arises as to whether this is good or bad. Perhaps the answer lies in the totality of the situation. Studies suggest that about 80 percent of those who traded print media for digital media said that they have a better lifestyle. It is reported that tablets contribute a lot to carrying out more tasks correctly at great speed. It turns out that tablet users – those who have their gadgets wherever they go – are more prolific. They are more informed with a vast knowledge of everything in a click (or slide) of a button.
When asked why they buy tablets, customers, who are also businessmen, say they want to keep tabs on their clients with this modern device. Which means the device is no longer dispensable. Its function goes beyond entertainment. It is now a necessity, something that the user has to carry even in private moments.
A study conducted by Ericsson Consumer Lab showed that 35 percent of iPhone users check their cell phone first before they get out of bed. Surely they are becoming too attached to their cell phone. The same goes for tablet users. It seems like nothing is keeping them away from using their slate. Not even terrifying bacteria from the toilet.
A few years from now, people will become increasingly more techie and tablets will be part of their daily living as if they couldn’t get through a day without playing with their electronic gadgets, much less going into the toilet without them.
