Surfing the Net boosts office productivity

Researchers at the University of Melbourne studied the habits of 300 workers and found that workers are more productive when they are able to occasionally do non-work activities online. Dr. Brent Coker called such activities "Workplace Internet Leisure Browsing" or WILB. WILB involves surfing the Net for personal reasons, such as reading news, playing games and even watching YouTube videos. 

According to Dr. Coker the reason for this finding is simple: "People need to zone out for a bit to get back their concentration. 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 day's work, and as a result, increased productivity." Of course, the increased productivity only applies to those who surfed for less than 20 percent of their time in the office--and does not apply to the Internet addicted.

For more on this story:
- check out this article at Ars Technica

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