Cost Of Social Media Addiction At Work [Interactive Infographic]

Olivia Smith https://www.digitalid.co.uk 2m 460 #socialmedia

The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.

How Much Does It Cost For You To Be On Social Media At Work?

Social media is now a huge part of people’s lives, from updating our online lives through personal accounts to using social media such as Twitter or Facebook to grow a business, the majority of us now check it, use it or update it on a regular basis. And whilst so many of us use it for work, there are still a number of us that spend time on Facebook when we should be working.

The issue of social media in the workplace, when not being used for a work-related reason, is one that tends to divide offices. Whilst many people think it slows down productivity and acts as nothing more than a distraction, others believe it is a welcome, short break from work to catch up on the world around us.

In recent years, certain employers have begun to recognise that social media at work is now part and parcel of someone’s day. There are now companies that allow their workforce to spend 10-15 minutes on their phones, checking social media and doing what they have to do. These breaks have been introduced in a bid to boost productivity and create an open company culture where employees feel trusted and as though their personal lives are being taken into account.

However, not all companies are in favour of this new idea, with many still condemning the personal use of social media at work. But just how long do employees spend on social media when they should be working? And just how much does it cost the boss?

It was reported in 2017, that Brits are spending on average 37 minutes browsing social media each day, which equates to around 3 hours of the working week. If we take into account the reported average salary in the UK, which was £27,600 in 2015, that means that the average British person costs their boss around £2,300 a year, purely through their use of social media at work.

With this in mind, Digital ID have created an interactive calculator that allows you to see just how much your social media dependency is costing your boss. Simply enter your annual salary and the number of minutes you spend out of your working day on social media (when you should be working) and the calculator will do the working out!

(It’s clear that many people will use social media as part of their job role and also check their accounts during lunch and breaks, however, this calculator is purely looking into the times when you should be working and not checking any personal social accounts.)

This interactive infographic makes for an interesting feature on the issue of social media and productivity at work. Get started below!

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