A study from the University of Melbourne found that people who watch Youtube videos, go on social networking sites (Facebook, Twitter, etc.), and shop online during work end up being 9% more productive throughout the day. According to the study of 300 workers, 70 percent of people who use the Internet at work engage in WILB. Study author Brent Coker suggested that increased productivity from surfing the net for fun during work hours is because "Workplace Internet Leisure Browsing" (WILB) sharpens workers' concentration. On the university website, Coker said, ""People need to zone out for a bit to get back their concentration."(www.unimelb.edu.au/)
That means you can now be guilt free when partaking in WILB during work. However, as with everything, moderation is key. If people take to this study as a permission to increase their WILB time, it may become counter-productive for work. Moreover, the effect of WILB may vary in different industries or work positions. Before companies spend tons of money blocking their employees from watching videos, shopping, or social networking online, and before employees are permitted to surf online to-their-heart's-content for personal purposes, perhaps it is more important to monitor the amount of WILB that's happening in the company and its effect on productivity. After all, each country and each company has their own work culture. Be careful not to overgeneralize these results.
