I’ve long felt that too many people have become too attached to their smartphones.

But not only do people have an unhealthy and often annoying attachment to these devices, they are spending billions (yes billions with a b) to repair broken phones so they can continue their addictions to talking, tweeting, texting, and playing games.

Consumers have spent $5.9 billion to repair, replace, or pay insurance deductibles for damaged iPhones since they went on sale in 2007, according to SquareTrade, a leading consumer electronics protection plan provider. In just the past year, 30 percent of users have damaged their device. The San Francisco-based company surveyed more than 2,000 iPhone users.

And get this. Of all the people who were surveyed, 9 percent damaged their phone by dropping it in the toilet. I have to ask: Really, the toilet?

Five percent of users have accidentally put their phone in the washing machine. The liquids most commonly spilled on phones: water (43 percent), soda (19 percent), beer and wine (12 percent), and coffee and tea (12 percent). The most frequent way people damage their phone is to drop it.

SquareTrade’s chief marketing officer, Ty Shay, said people often keep a damaged device because it costs so much to replace an iPhone if they aren’t eligible for special price breaks when they sign up for a contract with a carrier. Eleven percent of iPhone owners keep using the phone with a cracked screen, while 6 percent have taped up their phone.

It’s no surprise that the survey found that young iPhone users are more likely to have accidents with their phones. One in two iPhone owners under 35 has damaged a phone.

So why are we so clumsy with our phones? “Our phones are such a big part of our lives,” Shay said. “We wake up, and it’s next to our bed. We take them everywhere and accidents can happen anytime. A case doesn’t protect against all the things that can damage your phone.”

So the question is: How can you get protection for a phone that gets damaged in an accident? Cellphone carriers will insure your phone for about $4 to $8 a month with a $25 to $100 or more deductible, according to Consumer Reports. But the companies may replace your damaged phone with a repaired or refurbished one.

Consumer Reports doesn’t recommend getting insurance or extended warranties. Instead, the magazine says to hold on to your old phone until the new phone’s contract ends. If you damaged your newer phone, just reactivate the old one.

I generally agree with Consumer Reports about warranties and insurance on electronics. But considering how vital smartphones have become to people, I can see where one might want to pay for insurance.

If you decide to get a plan, shop around. An insurance plan with SquareTrade costs $99 for two years of coverage with a $50 deductible, Shay said. Or how about this as a radical way to protect your device and save money on repairs or insurance? Put the phone in a drawer sometimes. At least stop taking it into the bathroom.