Does Technology make us more productive in the workplace?

Like any other thing, technology can either make our lives easier and more productive or be the complete opposite and eat away at your productivity. It all depends on how you use it. The question of whether technology make us more productive is not that simple or easy to answer since there is no right way to calculate productivity. Simply put this is not a yes or no question.

While there are pros to having technology in our lives, there are always cons too. While technology can make our lives easier, we should not forget that it can also be the biggest distraction for us. The most common example is our smartphones. These devices are no longer used to just make normal phone calls but can do so much more and most of the times, these can be the main reason for us getting distracted while working. It might not seem like a big deal to check your social media and go on Facebook or Twitter but just a few seconds of getting distracted can actually take up more then just those few seconds.

According to a study by Gloria Mark at the University of California, Irvine, we are loosing concentration for 30 minutes by getting distracted for just 30 seconds. This is how much time it takes to go back into full focus and continue with the same productivity that we were working with earlier.

However, like we discussed before, it’s not all bad when it comes to technology. There are parts to it that do help us get more productive both in the workplace and out of it. Let’s go through a few examples of what might make us more productive with technology in our lives.

Communication is a big part of being efficient and more productive in the workplace. Now, it’s easier than ever for people to communicate with each other over work matter even if they’re half way around the world. Employers can communicate with employees over phone, text, or even video call whenever they need to and don’t even have to be in the office or nearby. This also goes the other way as well.

A Harvard survey of managers from different industries shows that most of them agree that face to face meetings in the workplace sometimes end up being less productive. Companies are now moving to virtual meetings and have conferences over video software such as Skype. This can also be used to have virtual meetings with clients too and can save people from going to traffic and wasting their valuable time that way.

Accessibility to information is another thing that makes us more productive and technology can make that happen. Employees are most productive when they have quick and easy access to information required by them. Most business now store data virtually which not only makes it more accessible but organizing manual paperwork can also make the work day less productive.

Technology also offers flexibility to work from home or remotely from anywhere. Technology has created a lot more opportunities for people to find work and the flexibility to work from home as well.

Technology can be good or bad, it just comes down to how to make use of it in our lives.

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