Discussions
Are you wasting time on social networks?
Posted by timethief • 3/14/09 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: economic impact, education impact, multitasking, productivity, social networking, time management
Is social networking a waste of time?
There has been much fuss of late over the loss of productivity brought on by employees multi-tasking between actual work and social networking. One estimate puts the cost to British industry at £6.5 billion per annum in lost productivity and questionable bandwidth usage. timesonline.typepad.com/technology/2008/01/facebook-and-my.html
Another survey estimates that Britain’s social media fanatics are spending as much as 12 hours per week on these sites, no doubt eating into valuable work time.
www.socialmediainfluence.com/2008/02/are-social-netw.html
Read more here --> technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article3536749.ece
Tips for Using Social Networking Effectively
(1) Put all the pieces of your social networking profile in one file or folder. Most social networking sites tend to ask the same questions so when you sign up for a new one, having all this information in one place is a time saver.
(2) Check out the site before you register and add your profile. Make sure they have more than a handful of participating members and that their members are the people you want to meet.
(3) Customize your profile and blog description(s) to suit the site.
(4) Invest in community building - Contribute information to the site whenever possible. Some sites allow you to add articles, tips or answer questions. These are excellent tools that will increase views of your profile and blog description(s) that will give members a reason to read your blog(s) and form a relationship with you.
(5) Create a social network strategy and time management plan and stick to it.
(6) Participate enthusiastically. If you add either meaningful content or a valuable comment on existing comment, you will build relationships online.
Discussion questions:
(1) How much of your employer's time do you spend on social networking every day during the hours you are being paid to work?
(2) How much time during a typical school day do you spend on social networking?
(3) How much of your own time on a typical do you spend on social networking?
(3) Have you created a social networking strategy and time management plan?
(4) Do you have any additional tips for using social networking time effectively that you would like to share?
New to BC? Join us.
This group has been created for the purpose of posting resource threads aimed at introducing bloggers, who new members of BC to the basics of effective networking and blog promotion within the BC community.
www.blogcatalog.com/group/new-blog-catalog-users
User Comments
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1) How much of your employer's time do you spend on social networking?
Zero!
(2) How much time during a school day do you spend on social networking?
Zero!
(3) Have your created a social networking strategy and timeline?
Meh - sort of. I fall off the wagon, though.
(4) Do you have any tips for using social networking time effectively that you would like to share?
Turn the computer off, and go outside at least once a day.
Honestly, I don't believe that employees should have access to non work related websites/online access when they are at work. They get paid to work, if they have time to play online while working, then their work load is either too small/not challenging enough or they are playing when they ought to be working.-
Ack! I missed one of the questions! (Damn edit ninja!)
I spend several hours per day, but not everyday on social network sites/online researching for blog posts. Typically after Punky has gone to bed, and with my husband working long hours, I have nothing to do but wander about online at night since it's a quiet activity that allows me to be near/hear Punky if I need to. -
Acckkk! I numbered two questions as (3) - sorry
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It is so true about Britian, though I don't witness it in my circle of friends on Twitter. Facebook however is their life!
I agree with Anok - employers should limit the access to such sites in their server! I am always seeing update of people who are sitting at their desk - then I recently came across an article this week about someone over here who got laid off for saying their job is boring on Facebook!
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If I had been their boss I wouldn't have fired them - I'd have upped their workload. I mean, if they're that bored, and can't find something to do, I'll find something for them
My employees always hated that about me LOL. -
Good call! If they are sitting there complaining about having nothing entertaining to do, find some entertainment in giving them something to do that is worth complaining about!
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@Anok and dangermouse
I agree too. Four of my friends are working in offices where management is now monitoring the time they spend online and they will be called on the carpet (disciplined and even terminated) for spending any of their paid hours on social network sites, unless that is part of their job description. (In one case some social networking is required by the employer and a time frame for it must be adhered to. But, no social networking is required by the employer in the other three cases.)
Penalties:
1st offense - disciplinary letter appended to their employee profile.
2nd offense - suspended without pay for 48 hours and a disciplinary letter appended to their employee profile.
3rd offense - terminated with 14 days notice and disciplinary letter appended to their employee profile, and no letter of reference or recommendation will be provided. -
Ouch! That's tough!
I don't understand how people can play online while at work. Even when I had a desk job, and access to online websites and social forums I never used them. I did not shop online, use personal e mail, IM, twitter (OK, twitter didn't exist) or social forums, chat rooms etc...
Many other employees did but I couldn't get past my conscious. -
I got this in twitter
What you doing? Do you not understand that Twitter is a necessity to a healthy functional life?! -
@Anok
Employees addicted to updating twitter, facebook, etc. during work hours and using the employer's equipment and bandwidth to socialize are apparently costing many small and medium size businesses quite a lot in terms of loss of productivity and bandwidth usage. -
@Dosox
I rarely use twitter at all. When I do use it it's just for chat and not for anything to do with blogging. I have protected my tweets. Currently, I'm contemplating deleting my account. -
@Dosox :-O OK, I admit that I said that, but for a humorous reason - Don't twist it!
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@msgjones No Twisting
@tt - Twitter is one thing that i love.. (esp. when it comes to sports & news plus quotes) -
I don't feel the same way. I could care less about sports in general and 140 characters of sports news regurgitated from the major media outlets is not attractive to me at all. Also I can find all the quotes I need on the net.
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(1) How much of your employer's time do you spend on social networking every day during the hours you are being paid to work?
Zero - I am not an employee.
(2) How much time during a typical school day do you spend on social networking?
Zero - I am not a student.
(3) How much of your own time on a typical do you spend on social networking?
Too much. I typically spend my time on answering questions and posting to many social discussion threads, which are not helpful when it comes to creating blog centered communities for my two blogs.
(3) How much of your own time on a typical do you spend on social networking?
All of the time I spend on social networking is my own time. And I spend hours of my own time every day on social networking sites, and most of it is here at BC.
(3) Have you created a social networking strategy and time management plan?
Yes, but I did not stick to it and therefore, I need to develop a new one and re-commit to it.
(4) Do you have any additional tips for using social networking time effectively that you would like to share?
Yes but I prefer to add them later as I have housework to do at the present time. -
(1) How much of your employer's time do you spend on social networking every day during the hours you are being paid to work?
zero
(2) How much time during a typical school day do you spend on social networking?
3 to 4 hrs avg
(3) How much of your own time on a typical do you spend on social networking?
When I'm not into schools it doubles/triples up
(3) Have you created a social networking strategy and time management plan?
Yeah but I always forget
(4) Do you have any additional tips for using social networking time effectively that you would like to share?
Don't be like me-
@dosox
I forgot to say thanks for contributing.
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I agree that employees should not be spending time on social networking sites. My old employer blocked all social networking websites and access to personal, internet based email.
When I was let go, I was really offended by the decision as were many other people in my department. It was based on "last in, first out" rather than weighing each employees productivity and value to the department.
As a result, several people who spent most of their days texting on their cellphones, chit chatting at each others cubicles, and using the company email to send lengthy, inappropriate, personal emails to their friends were kept on and I was let go. These same people would habitually come in late, take long lunches, and leave early. They would skip company functions and screw up quality control on their projects.
Yes, I am a little bitter. All my managers were angry and shocked that I was chosen to go over the slackers.
The other thing that makes me feel better, my old boss (who made the decision) is probably going to end up getting the ax too.
I am not quite sure what has come over me tonight. I feel all riled up and am picking fights with people. Must be the mandarin oranges and soup I had for dinner. LOL!-
Thanks for wading in here and sharing your viewpoint. I think we are on the edge of seeing some very big changes coming to pass in the workplace. The economic times are grim and businesses will be struggling to stay afloat. There is no more easy credit and ought not to have been any previously.
I was discussing this with yet another friend on the mainland on the phone today and he told me two of his co-workers were fired for spending their employer's time during work hours online in social networks, casino, porno, and gambling sites. Apparently, the boss had some monitoring software installed 6 months ago and a memorandum was sent to all employees saying that company computer's were only to be used for business purposes and their use was being monitored. These two smart apples were so addicted to that they kept at it and now they are unemployed and are trying to find jobs without a reference.
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(1) How much of your employer's time do you spend on social networking every day during the hours you are being paid to work?
2 hours everyday. My boss does not care about this as long as I get my work done!
(2) How much time during a typical school day do you spend on social networking?
None, I don't do school anymore
(3) How much of your own time on a typical do you spend on social networking?
1 hour probably
(3) Have you created a social networking strategy and time management plan?
Never
Depends on how my mood goes.
(4) Do you have any additional tips for using social networking time effectively that you would like to share?
Find friends that really care about the topics I am talking about. Then friendship will build up-
Thanks for contributing
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1) I'm retired.
2) I've graduated.
3) About an hour.
4) No, should I?
5) Be selective.-
You win the brevity award!
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ta-daaaaah!
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(1) I'm freelance, it's my time I waste
(2) I've graduated
(3) some days like 3 hours some days 0
(4) Absolutely not. I am not an effective person.
(5) Keep in mind most folks have vested interests and don't friend everyone-
@codesucker
Your 4 & 5 were so brutally honest that I added you as a friend
... neer neer neer neer neer neer
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(1) How much of your employer's time do you spend on social networking every day during the hours you are being paid to work?
None - I am the employer.
(2) How much time during a typical school day do you spend on social networking?
None - When I was at school we still used an abacus!
(3) How much of your own time on a typical do you spend on social networking?
Lots & lots, I am nearly always to be found on one networking site or another most of the day.
(4) Have you created a social networking strategy and time management plan?
Not really but working on it.
(5) Do you have any additional tips for using social networking time effectively that you would like to share?
Enjoy yourself and don't take it too seriously, many people have re christened it notworking!-
@rocketrobin
I'm still chuckling at your answer to (2) and I agree with your final advice. For some social networking can become an addiction that replaces actual life. Thank you for posting.
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I'm wasting my own time, but a lot of it on social networking sites. Right now I should be working instead of hanging out here.
However, owning a few, I do object to "do not join on sites with only a hand full of members". How do they grow if everyone thought that way? Besides, smaller sites are sometimes a lot more fun to be around, as you can actually get to know the people without much of a fuss and big effort. So definitely if the site is in your genre, you should join even if it was just you and the person who started it! (But preferably on your own time.)-
@Sebastyne
I don't have much experience with small sites myself. I assume that any site requires a critical mass to be effective and I'm glad you shared your advice on that. Thanks for commenting.
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Great discussion... good reading... but no time to answer the questions right now... hopefully I can get back to it! -
Yes I do waste a lot of time in social networks but there are rewards - traffic and "sometimes" sales !!
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(1) How much of your employer's time do you spend on social networking every day during the hours you are being paid to work?
Currently none (unless it's for my employer's purposes), because I log actual time worked rather than a straight schedule. When I worked in the office, it's hard to say. It's difficult to untangle SN time that advances the companies I work for from that which is strictly social, since network building is so important. In addition, my company encourages the use of social networks among employees, both to promote our companies and as a means of getting to know one another better as the company grows quickly and we have less personal contact than we once did. Our internet policy is "enjoy responsibly"--the same policy that applies to the foosball table and DirectTV in the kitchen.
(2) How much time during a typical school day do you spend on social networking?
n/a
(3) How much of your own time on a typical do you spend on social networking?
Some days, none at all. Some days, an hour or two. It's hard to quantify because I'm always doing several things at once. I tend to pop back in to a discussion or open an email at intervals, as I finish something else or while I'm eating lunch or whatever short gaps appear in my day.
(3) Have you created a social networking strategy and time management plan?
Nope. I don't "devote time" to social networking, except as I'm working specific projects for my employer. It's something I do if and when I have time, or if I need a short break.
(4) Do you have any additional tips for using social networking time effectively that you would like to share?
If you don't have much time, start with people you don't know well. It's always tempting (and there's some benefit) to digging, retweeting, etc. the stories, tweets, etc. of the people you interact with every day, but you're not going to lose those people because you were busy one day. On the other hand, if you don't give the new folks some attention, you're not going to build your network. (Note that this is purely theoretical...I'm not actually "working" social networks, so I don't follow my own advice--I pretty much talk to the people I want to talk to.) -
(1) How much of your employer's time do you spend on social networking every day during the hours you are being paid to work?-I'm self employed so my time is mine to use as I please ;)And very often, it's not very effective usage I must say
(3) How much of your own time on a typical do you spend on social networking?- Twitter is driving me crazy! I spend far more time on it thanking people for following me!
(3) Have you created a social networking strategy and time management plan?- That makes sense. I've just begun avoiding it, but of course, that's not a real solution.
(4) Do you have any additional tips for using social networking time effectively that you would like to share?- Keep aside x amount of time each day for it, and when it's done, switch off the computer! -
Am I wasting time? Hmm .. not really, but I do wasting more money
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