Our phones are constantly with us at the store, in class, at the park, on the floor, and in the bathroom collecting about 25,127 per square inch of germs and bacteria on a daily basis.

Cell phones are proven to have 10 times more bacteria than a toilet seat, according to Northwestern medicine. The average American picks up their phone at least 144 times a day according to Review.org.

Cell Phones carrying bacteria and germs cause diseases in some cases.
In a study done by National Library of Medicine on cell phones in secondary schools it was found that 20 different dominant microbial species were detected on cell phones. Some of the main bacteria contamination found on students’ cell phones were, Micrococcus luteus, Acinetobacter lwoffii, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Staphylococcus hominis. All of these types of bacteria can cause diseases. Micrococcus letueus can cause hepatic and brain abscess, native valve endocarditis, bacteremia, and septic arthritis. Acinetobacter lwoffii can cause nosocomial infections like septicemia, pneumonia, meningitis, urinary tract infections, skin and

wound infections. Staphylococcus epidermidis usually is harmless, but it was found to be a common cause of a nosocomial infection. Staphylococcus hominis can cause native valve endocarditis (NVE) on rare occasions. (All these causes are from the National Library of Medicine ). This is only a small quantity of the bacteria that is found on our cell phones.

Everyone has cell phones nowadays and they have become a necessity for almost every teenager, including the students at PRHS.

“I carry my phone 24/7,” Anthony Ramirez said when being asked how often he carries his phone on him. He also said that he carries his cell phone into the restroom.

Freshman, Grace Johnson discusses her phone usage and hygiene concerns. Johnson expresses worry about bacteria on her phone due to its placement in various environments, “When you put your phone down there’s so much bacteria everywhere that gets on it.”  

In order for us to decrease the chances of getting sick by our cell phone bacteria we should increase the amount of times we clean our phones.
One student who cleans her phone weekly mentions how she tries to keep bacteria away,

“I try to clean my cellphone daily/weekly with a Clorox wipe and I definitely think everyone should clean their cellphones,” Isabella Rendon said.
Using an antibacterial wipe is one option to keep your cell phones clean. A newer option is using a UV light to kill bacteria and germs such as Phonesoap. Although the best option is using a alcohol-based (70% isopropyl) disinfectant spray or wipe on your phone according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

So, if you don’t want to get sick this season from bacteria on your phone make sure you wipe it down often.