The surprising reason young men spend so much time on the loo

It's a question that a lot of people want the answer to - why do young men seem to spend an eternity on the bog?

The bathroom itself has a number of purposes, obviously to do your business, to wash your hands, or to have a shower after a long day.

However, there is one bizarre overarching reason that is contributing to the fact that people are heading to the loo more frequently and for longer periods of time, and it's not as simple as you think.

This is where the magic happens. (Getty Stock Image)

Bathroom manufacturers Villeroy & Boch took it upon themselves to uncover why.

And it goes beyond the odd shower habit that many men seem to do, and actually applies to the general public too.

In this social media driven age, it's very easy for someone to become overwhelmed, and it turns out that the bathroom, a private, enclosed space, is where many young people go to find some peace and quiet.

The manufacturers' study consisted of data from over 2,000 people and the results were quite telling, revealing a lot about the state of the world today.

It's getting easier to become overwhelmed in this day and age. (Getty Stock Image)

Data revealed that 43 percent of people liked to lock themselves away for some quiet, while 13 percent said they did it to get some time away from their partner.

The research found that the average Brit spends around an hour and 54 minutes a week in the toilet, which works out to almost one working day per month.

The age group that enjoy their private bathroom time most are, unsurprisingly, aged 18 to 24, with an average time of two hours and 36 minutes a week on the throne.

But it's men who take the cake across all age groups, with two hours a week (almost 20 minutes a day) spent on the toilet compared to the women's average of one hour and 42 minutes (almost 15 minutes a day).

Apparently, there are mental health benefits that come with taking prolonged bathroom visits to escape the pressures of human life, as some people may not even realise that they use the toilet to take a break.

Unsurprisingly, on average, men spend more time on the loo than women. (Getty Stock Image)

Counsellor Georgina Sturmer, a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, previously explained why people see the bathroom as an escape.

Sturmer told Metro: "We all need coping strategies when life becomes overwhelming and stressful."

Getting stressed triggers our fight or flight response - with places like the office seemingly impossible to escape - means the bathroom is the only place where we can compose ourselves before taking other challenges on.

The counsellor further noted: "It’s almost always socially acceptable to take ourselves away for a bathroom break."

She also advised that you carry out breathing exercises if you're struggling to calm down once you're in the bathroom, explaining: "I’m a big advocate of the 'five finger breathing' exercise as a way to stay quietly calm without drawing attention to what you’re doing.

"Hold your hands out in front of you, and trace the index finger of one hand up and down each finger of the other hand. Breathe in as you trace upwards and breathe out as you trace downwards."