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You have discovered using Twitter or Facebook at work? So that would make a better employee, according to an Australian study which claims that surfing the internet during office hours, increases productivity.

The study by the University of Melbourne indicated that people who use internet for personal reasons at work is around 9 per cent more productive than those who do not.


The author of the study, Brent Coker, Department of Management and Marketing at the university, said that "idle internet browsing at work" helps to adjust the concentration of workers.

"People need a distraction time to return to their concentration," he said on the website of the university (www.unimelb.edu.au/).


"Short breaks and not intrusive, as a quick internet browsing, allows the mind to rest, leading to a higher net total concentration for a day of work and result in increased productivity," he said.

The study conducted on 300 workers, 70 percent of people who use internet at work is distracted with this kind of navigation.


Among the most popular are seeking information about products, read online news pages, play online and watch videos on YouTube.

"Companies spend millions in software to prevent their employees watch videos, use social networking sites or shop online, under the argument that cost millions in lost productivity," said Coker. "That is not always the case."


However, the expert noted that the study involved people who sailed in moderation, ie internet were less than 20 percent of their total time in office.

"Those who behave with trends of internet addiction have lower productivity than those who do not have it," he said.