The dangers of cyberloafing
Time to own up. When you're sitting at your computer, do you work solidly all day? Or do you allow yourself to become distracted now and again… to open a few extra tabs, check social media, read a spot of news, browse the latest fashion trends, maybe catch up on some celebrity gossip, and look at some…
Stop! You're 'cyberloafing'. The unwieldy word is a combination of 'cyber', which means 'related to computers', and 'loafing', which means 'relaxing in a lazy way'. We do it, and we do it a lot. A study from the University of Texas suggests we are guilty of this form of procrastination for 14% of our working day. On a Friday afternoon, I expect it's more than that.
I'll admit to indulging in the odd bout of cyberloafing myself. In fact I've already done it in the course of writing this story. OK, more than once.
But it's a slippery slope. It can damage your productivity and even your career. Because according to the Univeristy of Texas research, each time a worker gets sidetracked by the internet it takes an average of 23 minutes to get back to work.
More than that, cyberloafing has a dark side, according to a report published in The Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace. It argues that cyberloafing is connected to several negative personality traits. People who cyberloaf are more likely to be manipulative, self-interested and narcissistic. Furthermore, people with these traits are less likely to feel remorse about avoiding work, and less concerned about getting caught.
Why do we do it? For some, it's undoubtedly an escape from the drudgery of what they're supposed to be doing. Or a way of avoiding tackling that ever growing in-tray. Some might get a feeling of satisfaction, get a buzz from finding a great deal online. But overall, it's something that takes you away from what you're actually being paid to do, or paying to do: if you're a student.
When you have the whole world of the internet at your fingertips, it's hard to resist.
How do we nip it in the bud? If you can truly ask yourself why you are cyberloafing, then that can help identify the base problem. And if that sounds like too much hard work, you could just switch off the internet for a couple of hours! So in the meantime, let me just close those extra tabs…
词汇表
own up (to) vi. 坦白，承认（错误或责任）
solidly [ˈsɒlɪdli] adv. 连续地，稳定地，扎实地
now and again adv. 偶尔，时不时
tab [tæb] n. （浏览器）标签页
a spot of 少量，一点儿，一些
celebrity gossip [səˈlebrəti ˈɡɒsɪp] n. 明星八卦，名人绯闻
cyberloafing [ˈsaɪbələʊfɪŋ] n. 网络摸鱼（工作或学习时上网做无关事情）
unwieldy [ʌnˈwiːldi] adj. 拗口的，难使用的，笨重的
cyber [ˈsaɪbə(r)] adj. 网络的，电脑的
loafing [ˈləʊfɪŋ] n. 闲混，游荡，无所事事
procrastination [prəˌkræstɪˈneɪʃn] n. 拖延，耽搁
indulge in [ɪnˈdʌldʒ] 沉迷于，沉溺于
odd bout of [ɒd baʊt] 偶尔的一阵，偶尔的一次
slippery slope [ˈslɪpəri sləʊp] n. 滑坡效应，一发不可收拾的局面
get sidetracked [ˈsaɪdtræktɪd] 分心，走神，偏离正题
dark side [dɑːk saɪd] n. 阴暗面，黑暗面，负面
psychosocial [ˌsaɪkəʊˈsəʊʃl] adj. 社会心理的，心理社会学的
cyberspace [ˈsaɪbəspeɪs] n. 网络空间，虚拟空间
manipulative [məˈnɪpjələtɪv] adj. 操纵他人的，控制欲强的
self-interested [ˌself ˈɪntrəstɪd] adj. 自私的，利己的
narcissistic [ˌnɑːsɪˈsɪstɪk] adj. 自恋的，自我陶醉的
remorse [rɪˈmɔːs] n. 自责，懊悔，悔恨
drudgery [ˈdrʌdʒəri] n. 枯燥乏味的工作，苦差事
ever growing [ˈevə ˈɡrəʊɪŋ] adj. 不断增长的，日益增加的
in-tray [ˈɪn treɪ] n. （办公室的）收文篮，待处理文件盒
buzz [bʌz] n. 兴奋，快乐，愉悦感
at your fingertips adv. 触手可及，近在手边
nip it in the bud 扼杀在萌芽状态，防患于未然
📖 翻译、pdf见公众号【琐简英语】，回复"1"可进【打卡交流群】