You get a text at work, you answer it and the next thing you know thirty minutes have slipped away! Digital distractions could be killing American productivity. It's estimated that a worker takes 30 minutes to re-focus after they have been digitally distracted. Dr. Titus Asbury researches Cyber-Psychology at Texas Women's University and says distractions like this can also add to your anxiety level.
“There has been research out there for decades that tell us stress and anxiety in the workplace will lower production and it’s also bad for your health.
Should there be a "no cellphones in meetings" policy? Maybe, maybe not.
“Part of the madness is we’re anxious when we DON’T see our smartphones, so there’s anxiety with that!”
Asbury stresses that a total crackdown could be damaging --- and probably impossible! “”” “Some research shows us that most Americans check their smartphones 100 times a day!”
He says the cyber world makes a worker happier and possibly more creative to have connections to friends, trending news feeds and aps that do everything from order lunch to organize photos. Millennials and Gen Z-ers say they spend at least 2 hours during the workday checking their smartphones. Asbury suggests you establish digital surfing periods during the day when employees may freely check their twitter accounts, text their mothers, you know…. See if the productivity in the office rises.