Smartphone use: work better thanks to short breaks

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MunichSome employers are now banning cell phones at work. Researchers have now found that this strategy may be counterproductive. Because whoever spends short breaks in private communication or playing games is happier and therefore more productive.

Mini-breaks promote creativity and productivity in the workplace - that is a well-known fact. If you get up in between and walk around the block or make yourself a coffee to clear your head, you can start better again afterwards. But does that also work when you are using your smartphone? Communication stress could also have the opposite effect.

Monitoring via app

Researchers at Kansas State University have investigated exactly this question in a study. To this end, they recruited 72 full-time employees from various professional fields. Sooyeol Kim's research team developed an app that detected all user activities on the smartphone, such as communication with friends via “WhatsApp” or “Facebook”, whether the users were playing games like “Angry Birds” or “Candy Crush” or privately telephoned. The study participants did not know the function of this app or the question of the study. At the end of each working day, the scientists asked their test subjects how they felt and how effective they rated their work.

Tea, a walk or a smartphone

The result: Those who used their cell phone for an average of 22 minutes per working day were more satisfied. "A mini break with the smartphone is positive, both for the employee and the employer," says study author Kim. Of course, it disturbs your work if someone plays a mobile game for an hour, but short breaks promote well-being. "A minute or two is enough".

Very few can concentrate for eight hours at a time. The scientists' study shows that smartphone micro-breaks have a similar effect to taking a break for tea or walking. (away)

Source: Kansas State University press release: Taking a short smartphone break improves employee well-being, research finds, July 2014. The study was also presented at the 29th annual Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology conference.

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