If you've ever been in a sauna, you're probably aware of how hot they can get. It's only natural that many of us would wonder if we could bring our phones into the sauna with us to keep cool. So, is it permissible to bring your phone into the sauna – and what are the risks of doing so?
Water damage or even electrical shock on most phones is a possibility in steam rooms, even if they are water-resistant, due to the extremely high humidity found in these rooms.
Is it permissible to bring a phone into the sauna?
Sauna culture has been a tradition in Finland for hundreds of years, passed down from generation to generation and playing an important role in the country's social life. Individuals were brought together by this communal form of cleanliness. However, in recent years, the popularity of these dry heated rooms has declined as more and more people use their phones to pass the time while passing the time in one of these rooms.
All of this points back to what makes these spaces unique: their ability to engage people with themselves and with one another rather than with electronic devices. The act of not using your phone or another electronic device while in the sauna should be regarded as something we should adhere to, rather than something we should abandon for the sake of convenience.
Some saunas have rules prohibiting the use of a phone while in the sauna. King Spa, a well-known Dallas spa, states that "members/guests may only use their mobile/smartphones outside of the wet spa/locker rooms and dry sauna rooms except in the event of an emergency."
Numerous reasons exist, among them but not limited to those listed below:
It doesn't make you feel relaxed; instead, it makes you feel distracted and rude; and it separates you from your surroundings, yourself, and other people. When one enters a sauna, they should completely immerse themselves in the present moment.
Photographic devices are an invasion of privacy, especially in a setting where clothing is often scarce or nonexistent. Even the most outspoken individuals would prefer to keep their photographic devices hidden away.