A recent survey has revealed that more people are gaming during working hours than you might think, but that in some ways it might actually be helpful for productivity.
An online self-report survey was used to gather feedback from 1,000 full-time workers in the States around their experiences with playing games during work. The researchers also wanted to know how doing so affects work performance.
The primary finding is that the majority of participants - 80% to be exact - reported playing some kind of a game during working hours. Furthermore, on average each worker included in the survey lost about 50 minutes-worth of productivity per week due to gaming during working hours.
Predictably, it also appears as though mobile gaming is most popular in this context, with 96% of participants having opted for that platform versus only 33% who reported playing on a PC. And of course, Candy Crush Saga and Angry Birds were the most popular mobile choices, while Solitaire was the top pick for PC gaming. There are even some particularly ballsy folk who manage to squeeze in a bit of Counter Strike: Global Offensive or Fortnite while their bosses (or employees) aren't looking.
On that note, it is indeed the case that employees aren't the only ones guilty of habitually assigning themselves a little gaming leisure time during work - managers and supervisors are too. In fact, the majority (86%) of managers included in the study are spending time playing games when they should technically be working, while 74% of employees are doing the same.
There certainly is a risk involved in gaming while at work, not only because you might receive a stern talking-to by The Powers That Be if you're caught, but also because it might hinder your productivity. Right? Well actually, despite that statistic from earlier saying around 50 minutes of productivity are usually lost thanks to this, most of the participants actually reported experiencing benefits from at-work gaming.
Overall, participants claimed that brief gaming sessions scattered throughout the workday - say, during breaks or over lunchtime - relieve their stress, make them feel more focused once they return to work, and help them fight that afternoon slump. Over 1 in 5 workers also reported that a gaming session works more effectively in enhancing their focus than coffee.
Before you let yourself run wild with the idea that this means gaming when you should be working is always a fab idea, the usual grain of salt should be applied. The nature of the study and its methodology means it doesn't tick all the necessary scientific boxes that could let us conclude anything with certainty.
However, maybe it shows that brief gaming sessions might have a place within workplace systems as a way to increase productivity and decrease stress. That would be cool.
Source: Word Tips