Say What!  The next time your boss busts you on Facebook or YouTube, tell them your not slacking, your actually becoming a better employee.  This is according to an Australian study that shows surfing the Internet for fun during office hours increases productivity.  How much more productive?  How about 9% more productive then those stiffs who actually follow the rules and don’t surf at work!!

Reuters is reporting that

“People need to zone out for a bit to get back their concentration,” Coker said on the university’s website (www.unimelb.edu.au/)

“Short and unobtrusive breaks, such as a quick surf of the Internet, enables the mind to rest itself, leading to a higher total net concentration for a days’ work, and as a result, increased productivity,” he said.

OK, not sure I’m buying it.  Do the breaks of surfing really provide a boost in productivity or does the guilt associated with the screwing off cause one to be more productive then they would otherwise be?  Even if it did cause an increase in productivity, viewing YouTube videos takes up a lot of bandwidth.  While you are recharging your brain, how much are you slowing down the rest of us who are trying to actually get work done but can’t because the network is crawling?  Regular breaks are needed and a benefit but you need to be aware of how your breaks can affect the work of others.