Study: ‘Cyberloafing’ could play a workplace wellness role
Researchers posit that surfing the web during work hours can be benign—perhaps even beneficial—to reduce stress and increase productivity.
Probably not, though YouTubing funny felines, surfing dogs, prancing pangolins and Eagles fans running into poles might not be the bane of business productivity after all. According to a study published on Science Direct, researchers assert that “cyberloafing can serve a potentially positive function in that it can help employees cope with workplace boredom.”
The study weighs whether cyberloafing is an acceptable “boredom coping mechanism” rather than an egregious “counterproductive work behavior.” It’s a fraught question every company must contend with in the digital age, especially as evidence mounts that workplace boredom is just as bad (if not worse) than being overworked.
According to PsyPost:
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