"Short and unobtrusive breaks, such as a quick surf of the Internet, enables the mind to rest itself, leading to a higher total net concentration for a days' work, and as a result, increased productivity," he said.
According to the study of 300 workers, 70 percent of people who use the Internet at work engage in WILB.
Among the most popular WILB activities are searching for information about products, reading online news sites, playing online games and watching videos on YouTube...
...However, Coker said the study looked at people who browsed in moderation, or were on the Internet for less than 20 percent of their total time in the office."
I have to say that I fully believe in this study, and not just because I often look at blogs, use Twitter, check my Facebook page and write blog entries like this one right now from work. Our brains need time to focus on other things besides work during the day. It's the same concept as the idea that you should look away from your computer for a few minutes every once in a while to give your eyes a chance to focus on something else... why would your brain be any different?
Granted, I work for an Internet company so I have full access to just about every site on the Web and online all day long, but I find it so strange when companies block certain sites for their employees. To me, the Internet isn't a novelty anymore—we need it. It's not like companies aren't monitoring everything you do online anyway, so why not just terminate employees who are looking at things they're not supposed to?
What are your thoughts?