No really, it does. The findings of a study by the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology could relax bosses negative viewpoints on employees ‘playing’ on their smartphones during work hours.
Aiding workplace productivity
According to Business News Daily, one of the study’s authors and a doctoral student at Kansas State University, Sooyeol Kim said, “Having workers take small breaks on their phones throughout the day may positively influence their perceived well-being at the end of the workday,”
So, how did he and co-author Qikun Niu, a George Mason University doctoral student, reach this conclusion?
Smartphone guinea pigs
Seventy two employees from various industry sectors in South Korea were surveyed as part of the study. The participants downloaded a smartphone app which enabled Kim and Niu to measure their phone usage at work. The usage was separated into three categories which were: social media, entertainment and leisure, and personal and informative.
Social media = happiness
Unsurprisingly, usage for social media resulted in more feelings of positivity amongst the employees than usage for entertainment or personal reasons.
Kim said of the results, “We buy smartphones so we can interact with people. We use them for social interaction, so I think that’s why social media was shown to make employees the most happy.”
So really, that sneaky status update or tweet that generally earns you a disapproving look from your boss is good for you and your workplace. Well, we already knew that didn’t we?
Moderation is key
But there’s a catch. Isn’t there always? As with just about everything, moderation is key. We know, boring.
Just as gorging on four doughnuts during your coffee break and scoffing a KFC Big Daddy box meal every lunchtime isn’t good for your health, neither is too much smartphone interaction for workplace productivity. Apparently.
So how much phone time is acceptable without turning your boss’ face puce?
According to Business News Daily, Kim and Niu’s study revealed that ‘the average combined minutes of usage a worker has on their smartphone during the workday is about 20 minutes.’ Also that ‘for the most part, anywhere between 20 and 25 minutes doesn’t affect productivity and is good for the employee.’
Personally, we think that’s a bit tight, but it’s a start.
Viva La Revolution!
So the next time your superior raises an eyebrow, impart your wisdom on the benefits of a ‘Smartphone Quickie’ to aid productivity in the workplace. You never know, you may just earn Employee of the Week status…well from your colleagues at least.
Whilst you’re exercising your right to have a little me time with your smartphone, you could get a super-fast
mobile phone insurance quote online. Just complete our
four easy steps and you could be insured in a matter of minutes.
Call us biased, but we think that’s a pretty productive use of your phone time whether you’re at work or not.
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