You know it happens. You can hear the conversations through the stalls when you’re in a restroom at a mall or restaurant. People are talking or texting on their cellphones while on the toilet.

It’s appalling. But it may be even more appalling to pretend the situation doesn’t exist. Which is why Japan has come up with this novel idea: toilet paper for the phone.

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The small dispensers have recently appeared in Narita International Airport in Tokyo so that travelers can get rid of any dangerous germs. The product is the brainchild of Japanese mobile giant NTT Docomo.

Will it be long before these things are prominently displayed in public places here in the U.S. — or is this whole idea overkill?

Here’s why you might care: Surveys about where the most bacteria are found continue to show that smartphones hold more bacteria than a typical toilet seat.

Perhaps it’s time we keep our multitasking out of the bathroom.