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We Need to Talk About Zoom Poops
Long video calls and chronic digestive issues don’t mix
Sammy Nickalls, a writer based in Pennsylvania, often has to poop immediately before a Zoom call. “I always end up thinking to myself, ‘Oh God, do I have time to take care of this before the call?’ and ‘WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING?’”
Nickalls is experiencing what for most of us is a new phenomenon: the dreaded Zoom poop. As the pandemic forced more people to transition from an office setting to their new work-from-home life, crucial bathroom routines were suddenly upended. Folks who used to regularly poop at, say, 7:00 after a morning run but before their commute to work no longer had that built-in structure around which they could build their bathroom habits. They did, however, face a new stressor: the dreaded video call.
Across the internet, memes and anecdotes abound in which people agonize about their new Zoom poops, in which they feel the sudden urge to use the restroom shortly before or during a Zoom call. This can be an aggravating experience, but it can also be a painful one: Holding it in is uncomfortable and even distressing, especially for people with chronic digestive issues, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
