Cell Phones are Dirtier Than Previously Thought
Since June of 2007, when the iPhone was “born,” iPhones have been incorporated into practically every aspect of a person’s daily routine. People check their phones when the get up in the morning, use them to play music in the shower, take them with them to school or work, use them on all forms of public transit, and more. For this reason alone it shouldn’t be surprising that these little boxes of metal and plastic often carry more germs than a public bathroom’s toilet seat.
Speaking of germs and iPhones, a new study was recently conducted by SellCell, a company that allows you to sell your used iPhone and buy a new one at a discounted price, that looked into exactly how much bacteria lived on our phone screens. In their study, they swabbed the screens of randomly selected individuals’, making sure to collect several samples in order to make sure their results were as accurate as possible. And then, according to Economic Times, “the swabs collected from the phones were then placed into a developing fluid and sent to bacterial analysis laboratory.” The results of the analysis of the samples were shocking.
On all of the screens they swabbed, SellCell found traces of E.coli and faecal streptococci, “which is found in human and animal excreta.” They also found “bacteria P. aeruginosa, which is commonly found in cockroach feces” on 50 percent of the smartphone screens. Furthermore, other bacteria that were found include Bacillus cereus, a common cause of Pneumonia. Bacillus cereus can also cause serious food poisoning. Suprisingly, both of these bacteria were found on all of the screens the scientists swabbed.
These are scary findings, how can we work to prevent this?
For one, People need to stop bringing or using their cellphones in the bathroom. Many people enjoy “mindlessly scrolling” on their phones as they finish taking care of business. But this is a problem. When doing this, a person increases the chance of introducing their iPhone to different, and harmful, bacteria, such as E.coli and other bacteria that are spread through feces and general uncleanliness. Furthermore, even if a person washes his or her hands thoroughly after using the bathroom, chances are there is still lingering bacteria on the phone, which just gets on a person’s hands again once they pick up their device again.
Another way this spread of bacteria can be prevented is to make a habit out of sanitizing both hands and smartphone. After using public transportation or the bathroom, touching books in a library or shaking hands with friends, all with cellphone in hand, it is important to not only to use hand sanitizer, but to sanitize common objects such as a cell phone. Doing so can get rid of all the leftover bacteria that a phone is harboring, and each time allows for a new, “clean” start.
Though this issue isn’t a catastrophic threat to human well-being or society, cellphone safety shouldn’t be taken lightly . For some, these bacteria can be deadly, especially for the immunocompromised, or for those whose suffer from other health conditions.
To keep you and your loved ones healthy, it is important to keep both your hands and your cellphone germ free!
