Some employees might freely admit that at one point or another they’ve been sucked into the unending vortex that is the Internet; whether it be cute cat videos, hilarious memes, in-depth investigative pieces or stalking your former significant others on Facebook. But a new report from Pew Research Center finds that most employees only use the power of the Internet for good, productive things while at work.

The Pew Research Center’s online survey of technology’s impact on workers found that for most office workers, life on the job means spending an increasingly large chunk of time online.

The survey [PDF], which covered full- and part-time adult workers in the U.S., asked respondents just how much of a role digital technology – including the Internet, mobile phones and email – plays in their work lives.

While Pew reports that critics have warned that Internet and other technological advances have a negative affect on employee production, the latest findings from the Research Center show that simply isn’t true.

Pew found that 92% of working adults say that the Internet has not hurt their job performance. Of those employees, 46% say the Internet actually makes them more productive, while another 46% say the Internet has no impact on their productivity. Only 7% of the most recent survey respondents say the technology makes them less productive.

The workers who took part in Pew’s survey say that technology has had a variety of impacts on their work, including:

• 51% who say they have expanded the number of people outside of their company they communicate with;
• 39% say technology has created more flexible work hours.

In fact, most workers say digital technology is a vital part of their jobs.

Nearly six in 10 American workers (61%) say email is “very important” for their daily job tasks, while 54% say the same is true about the Internet as a whole.

When it comes to communicating by phone, 35% of workers say their landline is “very important,” while 24% say the same about their mobile phones.

Only 4% of workers say that social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn play an important part in their jobs.

Overall, respondents to Pew’s survey say advances in digital technology, including the Internet, have made them more productive and given them more flexibility in their jobs.

Although the advances seem to be positive for employees’ production, many tell Pew that technology has created more workplace demand; meaning they often feel tethered to the office when they aren’t actually there.

Nearly 35% of employed adults say the Internet, email, and cell phones have increased the amount of time they spend working instead of enjoying free-time.

Technology’s Impact on Workers [Pew Research Center]

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