People have always found ways to goof off at work. There is always a dark corner to hang around in or a walk to the bathroom or the copier room that takes a little longer than it ought to because it is on the other side of the building. Everybody has done it, goofing off some times is what gets people through the week. The issue is when it becomes a habit and it becomes commonplace for people because it is convenient and simple.
That is why technology has made wasting your time much more common and easily. Many companies have restrictions on their email and the Internet to their employees, but sometimes this is not an effective solution. There are many jobs that need freedom when they are on the Internet and too many restrictions can hinder what the workers are trying to achieve. Social media has become the latest in a long line of websites that cause lost time.
What was once too much time at the water cooler or breaks for cigarettes has become too many tweets and too many Facebook status updates. It is easy to do from your office or computer desk, but it's even easier to do from your cell phone. That's what most people are now using to make updates and get online. Many companies have enacted policies that do not allow cell phone use during working hours or in certain work areas of the building. It can be difficult to control such a policy, because people have always been able to find a place that was not controlled at all times. Many people are addicted to the updates and social media as a whole.
Some people cannot spend a whole day without checking the status of all their "friends." It's a big waste of time and costs many companies labor and productivity. For a company it is more than a simple and innocent means for people to stay in touch, it costs them money. For people who can not control the amount of time they spend on these sites, there must be consequences for their actions.
You can ban cellphones in your building, but that can be difficult without searching everybody as they enter so it is impractical. What you require is a work force that respects the rules and understands what kind of distraction these devices cause.
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