THE IDEA that the use of social networking in the workplace is creating downtime is a complex one. This is not because there is any doubt on the issue. There is always downtime brought about by employees engaging in non-work-related activities. The question is whether or not the effect of social media at work is significant and whether or not it is a bad thing. The answer is, of course, that in moderation it can be a force for good, while if it is taken to extremes it becomes an abuse of company resources. I think that there's always been a prejudice against people bringing their own stuff into the office. When I started work as a technology journalist back in 1989 everything came from the office. PCs were coming into the home, but everything in terms of communications technology was work based. People got their ideas related to digital communications from work.
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