The dangers of cyberloafing

[00:00.66] Time to own up. When you’re sitting at your computer, do you work solidly all day?

[00:06.77] Or do you allow yourself to become distracted now and again… to open a few extra tabs, check social media, read a spot of news, browse the latest fashion trends, maybe catch up on some celebrity gossip, and look at some…

[00:20.85] Stop! You’re ‘cyberloafing’. The unwieldy word is a combination of ‘cyber’, which means ‘related to computers’, and ‘loafing’, which means ‘relaxing in a lazy way’.

[00:32.27] We do it, and we do it a lot. A study from the University of Texas suggests we are guilty of this form of procrastination for 14% of our working day. On a Friday afternoon, I expect it’s more than that.

[00:45.55] I’ll admit to indulging in the odd bout of cyberloafing myself. In fact I’ve already done it in the course of writing this story.

[00:52.46] OK, more than once.

[00:54.58] But it’s a slippery slope. It can damage your productivity and even your career.

[00:59.89] Because according to the Univeristy of Texas research, each time a worker gets sidetracked by the internet it takes an average of 23 minutes to get back to work.

[01:09.19] More than that, cyberloafing has a dark side, according to a report published in The Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace.

[01:17.96] It argues that cyberloafing is connected to several negative personality traits.

[01:23.27] People who cyberloaf are more likely to be manipulative, self-interested and narcissistic.

[01:28.85] Furthermore, people with these traits are less likely to feel remorse about avoiding work, and less concerned about getting caught.

[01:36.82] Why do we do it? For some, it’s undoubtedly an escape from the drudgery of what they’re supposed to be doing.

[01:43.46] Or a way of avoiding tackling that ever growing in-tray. Some might get a feeling of satisfaction, get a buzz from finding a great deal online.

[01:52.49] But overall, it’s something that takes you away from what you’re actually being paid to do, or paying to do: if you’re a student.

[01:59.66] When you have the whole world of the internet at your fingertips, it’s hard to resist.

[02:04.44] How do we nip it in the bud? If you can truly ask yourself why you are cyberloafing, then that can help identify the base problem.

[02:12.68] And if that sounds like too much hard work, you could just switch off the internet for a couple of hours!

[02:17.72] So in the meantime, let me just close those extra tabs…