The COVID-19 pandemic has not only disrupted millions of lives, but it has also altered some social, cultural, and corporate norms, according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP). The news outlet reported that the urinating habits of men in Japan are changed by the pandemic wherein instead of standing while peeing, they are now sitting.
The report came after the Panasonic Corporation, a known maker of home appliances and renowned for its bathroom equipment, published their study about men sitting while peeing. Their study suggests that since more men are working from home, they are mitigating from standing or sitting while peeing.
The study suggests that 70% of men in Japan are now sitting while relieving themselves instead of standing. This is partly because they realized the mess they make while standing, and they want to keep their partner happy.
Change in urinating habits of men
Panasonic conducted a survey on 310 men and women across Japan last August as part of their urinary research, being one of the biggest players in toilet equipment worldwide. It was able to identify an intriguing trend among men wherein more and more of them have shifted from standing position while peeing to the sitting position.
The same resurvey was also conducted in 2015, wherein 51% of the male participants said they urinated while standing. Likewise, in the early months of 2020, the same survey was conducted and yielded 58% of male participants standing while peeing. Last August, this number went up and became almost 70%, a significant change from the earlier months of the year.
Based on the answers of the participants, the primary reason for the change in their urinating habits is because they spend more time at home, particularly with their wives.
According to a report by ZME Science, the participants decided to shift their urinating habits because of missing and making a mess, especially that they spend more time at home during the pandemic.
Additionally, it is also because they are more comfortable with their home toilet than at their work. Features, such as heated seats that make the experience pleasant, also play a significant role in this shift.
Is sitting down while peeing good for men?
Although men may think that they are good aimers while they pee, that might not be the case. But there are things that they can do to reduce the splashback, although the physics of urination might be complicated. More so, not all splashback can be seen by the naked eye.
Medically speaking, men sitting while they pee might be better for them, according to a 2014 study by Leiden University Medical Centre in the Netherlands. Their study suggests that sitting down while peeing will help men with prostate problems have a more favorable position while urinating.
Although the argument on its benefits is far from being settled, their study has gained much attention from other health professionals.
On the other hand, sitting is not the typical position of men while urinating. So this is an issue in other countries like the United States. But in Japan, it barely caused a ripple on the internet.
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