Switched has a new home! Huffpost Tech.

Click here to visit the new home of Switched!

Hot on HuffPost Tech:

See More Stories
AOL Tech

How Many Online "Breaks" Do You Take Every Day?

by Tim Stevens on November 25, 2008 at 12:25 PM

Internet's Many Diversions Offer Escapes for Busy Workers

In the "old" days (oh about 15 years ago, or thereabouts), if you wanted to take a break from work, you had to go out for a smoke, head off for a cup of coffee, or saunter on over to the water-cooler. These days, if you have five minutes to decompress before diving into your next hour-long task, you're just a few clicks away from a smile and some good thoughts online. It's a trend that, many think, is a more productive and healthful way to work.

Whether looking at playful puppies or silly cat pictures, most workers find these online distractions quickly get their minds off of work issues and ramp the stress level down. We're big fans of the online micro-break, though unfortunately many employers still frown upon personal time spent surfing. It seems most would probably agree that a few minutes clicking around at silly pictures is better than getting burnt out -- or taking up smoking. [From: USA Today]

How many online "breaks" to you take per day?
1-361 (15.5%)
4-567 (17.0%)
5-873 (18.6%)
More than 10.192 (48.9%)

Tags: funny pictures, FunnyPictures, puppies, smoke break, SmokeBreak, timewasters, top, trends, work, work break, WorkBreak, workplace

HuffPost AOL Social News Most Popular