Internet Browsing in the Workplace Could Improve Younger Workers' Concentration

Could browsing the Internet be useful to your work? Apparently it can. Scientists have found that workplace Internet browsing can actually improve concentration in the long run.

Concentration in the workplace is important. Yet it declines over time and through the day as mental resources are expended. In fact, previous research has shown that people begin to lose concentration after 5 to 15 minutes before needing a break. There may be a way to help with that, though: Workplace Internet Leisure Browsing (WILB).

"WILB is the act of using the company Internet for personal reasons during work hours, which might include watching YouTube movies, engaging in social media sites such as Facebook, or doing any other activity that might be constructed as personal Internet use outside of organizationally set tasks," state the researchers in the new study.

WILB, though, may actually help workers. Scientists conducted two separate studies in order to test its effects. First, the researchers assessed the overall task vigilance of four separate groups receiving a different kind of short break while at work-WILB break, Internet break (comparing separate insurance policies for the best deal), stationary break (remaining in place), and no break. In the end, the researchers found that task vigilance did not decay as much for the volunteers in the WILB group compared to the other three groups.

In another study, the researchers used online surveys to a nationwide sample of 2,700 office workers. Then they determined the differing attitudes toward WILB among separated age groups. In the end, the researchers found that younger workers reaped additional attitudinal and attention benefits from WILB.

"The implication of this research for managers is that WILB should not necessarily be treated as 'cyberloafing,' whereby perpetrators should be punished," write the researchers. "Although excessive WILB may negatively impact worker performance by consuming time that would otherwise be spent performing work-related tasks, the present research suggests positive benefits within reasonable limits."

The findings are published in the journal Human Performance.