Employees who are engaged in "Workplace Internet Leisure Browsing" (WILB) or surfing the net at work for pleasure - within a reasonable limit of less than 20% of their total office hours - are more productive by about 9% than those who do not.
According to a study conducted in the University of Melbourne in Australia WILB increases our concentration levels. The study author Dr. Brent Coker said that "people need to zone out for a bit to get back their concentration. Short and unobtrusive breaks, such as a quick surf of the internet, enables the mind to rest itslef, leading to a higher total net concentration for a day's work, and as a result, increased productivity."
The study which was conducted for 300 workers also found out that 70% of people who use the Internet at work engage in WILB. Among the most popular WILB activities are searching for information about products, reading online news sites, playing online games, and watching movies on YouTube.
