The Perceived Impact of Social Network Sites on Knowledge Worker Productivity and Concentration

Abstract

The increasing use of social network sites (SNSs) in the workplace has led to concerns over how SNSs affect worker productivity. This project examined the perceived impact personal SNS use has on productivity and ability to concentrate among knowledge workers in the medical profession. A questionnaire measuring participants' perception of SNS use affecting their productivity and concentration was completed by 117 employees of two hospitals. Seventy percent reported that they access SNS while at work. Nearly 40 percent of those reported accessing SNSs multiple times per day. All respondent groups reported improved focus and concentration after a break, but when accessing a SNS while on break respondents reported less improvement in concentration than when they spent their break doing something other than visiting a SNS. The high frequency of SNS use at work and the suggestion that the positive effects of work breaks may be reduced by SNS use emphasize the importance of further study of SNS use in the workplace.