When it comes to technology, most of us are grateful for it. Computers make everything easier—from researching information to communicating with friends and colleagues—and even once basic devices like phones and cars are getting high-tech makeovers to do more, faster and better.
At the same time, there are critical drawbacks that occasionally prevent technology from working in our favor. When you lose your Internet connection, you’re practically helpless. When you do research, it’s easy to get distracted by peripheral tasks. When you’re online, you’re constantly getting messaged and distracted from your work. Ultimately, is technology increasing or decreasing our productivity?
The results are mixed. Online productivity statistics suggest that workers, on average, are only productive for a few hours on the computer during a typical eight-hour workday. Yet, at the same time, Internet access gives us more contact, more information, and greater speed—so those hours might be even more productive than a longer period of work just 20 years ago. The New York Times reports that our productivity has been increasing over the past few years, though at the low rate of just about 1 percent annually.
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