Billions lost to phone fixation
AUSTRALIAN workers are costing the economy and their employers billions of dollars a year in lost productivity due to their addiction to smartphones and social media.
New research shows the extent to which adults say they are checking social media and smartphones during working hours.
A third of Aussies say they “regularly get distracted by their smartphone or social media at work” with 42 per cent checking it up to seven times a day during working hours.
A further 5.2 per cent admit to being distracted by their device more than 15 times a day.
Of those checking their phone or social media at work, 92 per cent spend up to 90 minutes of work time scrolling their feeds or replying to messages. Research has shown that for every period of distraction, it takes a further 23 minutes to return to the same level of concentration.
So 90 minutes of self-reported social media scrolling could amount to more than that in lost productivity.
A total of 52 per cent of all employees who admitted to checking their phones while at work said if they were happier in their jobs they’d be less likely to be digitally distracted.
More than 1000 Australians 18 and over in all states and territories were surveyed for the research, conducted last month.
The findings coincide with digital media experts being called in to conduct seminars at many major workplaces to try to combat the worrying “digital drain” trend.
One expert, Dr Kristy Goodwin, said her business in this area had increased 80 per cent in the past year.
Dr Goodwin said the findings were shocking, but given they relied on self-reporting, the figures and time wasted on smartphones or social media during the day were likely to be higher in reality.
“People definitely may be conservative in estimating how much time they’re actually being digitally distracted during work hours,” she said.
“I would be terrified if we quantified the loss. It would be in the billions.
“Not just to the time lost and the resumption lag of 23 minutes to regain full concentration, but also the cost in terms of employee wellbeing on smart devices being integrated into work.
“Many employees are not getting quality of sleep because they are sleeping with their phones near or adjacent to their bed and they are never switched off from work to an extent.” A NEW photograph of Prince George showing off a cheeky grin has been released as the third-in-line to the throne celebrates his fifth birthday.
The picture has just been released by Kensington Palace, and was taken after the christening of his baby brother Prince Louis on July 9.
The Cambridge family is reported to be holidaying on the Caribbean island of Mustique, where a party is expected to be held for Prince George, the great-grandson of Queen Elizabeth.
Prince William and wife Catherine, and children Prince George, Princess Charlotte, 3, and Prince Louis, three months, are believed to have been joined by Catherine’s sister Pippa and her husband James Matthews, and Catherine’s parents Carole and Michael Middleton on the resort island.
The birthday portrait, taken by photographer Matt Porte-