Edinburgh Napier University

  Communicating has never been so easy; we can to send messages and texts to friends and strangers in an instant from a variety of platforms. You would think this would affect the world of bathroom scrawling, but people are still driven to those grubby walls to document their exploits, spill their secrets and carry on covert conversations. The art of toilet graffiti or latrinalia is certainly not dead.
While using the toilet is a private activity, writing in stalls is a social act. It’s a unique form of silent conversation intended for same-sex audiences. As such, the words and pictures on bathroom walls can provide a unique window into the differences in communication patterns between the sexes. And, as I found out through my ongoing exploratory study, graffiti can tell us just how important toilet walls can be as supportive spaces for women.