Internet and Work Efficiency

Distractions on the Internet Decreasing Productivity and Efficiency in Work The internet is full of distractions. It has pop-ups, ads, notifications, everything is popping out at you on the screen. Our focus is being diverted to one thing to the next rapidly and constantly. This is affecting the way in which we think and in the way we work, especially if working on a device with internet connection. The internet has been so embedded into modern day society that there is no turning back. We can never go back to the time when Facebook and Snapchat didn’t exist. According to Dewey, only 20% of the adults in the U.S. do not have access to the internet, mostly because they can’t afford it or are against/uninterested in it (1). That 20% have managed to live without the internet, but most people are so reliant on it they can’t even imagine living without it. Also, in some ways, the internet has increased productivity in work. In which, it has made working easier with its easy access to limitless information and quick connections. The internet has many uses to it, access to quick information, quick connection, etc.; however, there are many negatives to it. It is a huge detriment when trying to work and concentrate, with all of its flashing ads and constant notifications. We are creating a culture of distraction. In an experiment, researched by Sullivan, scientists found that “…some students…can 't concentrate on homework for more than two minutes without distracting themselves by using social media or writing an email,” (1). In another research by Sullivan, a test “held by Carnegie Mellon University 's Human Computer Interaction lab recruited 136 college students to take a standard test of cognitive abilities” in which the students were distracted with instant messages said to hold important information about the test they were taking (2). Overall, “interrupted group answered correctly 20 percent less often than members of a control group” (2). The internet also

Cited: Dewey, Caitlin. "The 60 Million Americans Who Don’t Use the Internet, in Six Charts." Washingtonpost.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2013. Sullivan, Bob. "Students Can 't Resist Distraction for Two Minutes ... and Neither Can You." NBC News. N.p., 18 May 2013. Web. 26 Sept. 2013. Zyga, Lisa. "Internet Temptation at Work Lowers Employee Productivity." Internet Temptation at Work Lowers Employee Productivity. N.p., 12 Feb. 2013. Web. 19 Sept. 2013.