No Internet? No, thanks
APC wrote an article about how new hires are shying away from workplaces that have restricted internet. From banning certain websites, online tools (Instant Messaging) and ultimately, total internet lockdown, restrictions left and right are being set up to guide (or limit) what people can do at the workplace.
Kirah defines ‘digital immigrants’ as people who were not born into the digital lifestyle and view it as a distraction rather than an integral part of life. The younger generation of workers have been using computers and mobile phones since birth and she calls them ‘digital natives’.
From a Digital Immigrant perspective, management is just doing everything it can to make the workplace as productive as possible. There’s nothing wrong with this. Management not only has a right to do this, but are obligated to do so for the sake of the shareholders. For instance, non-work-related e-mail can easily eat up an hour’s worth of work everyday from an employee. The logic goes, In minimizing distractions, employees can focus on work.
Digital Natives would disagree though. Humans were born to be distracted. Humans need a break, a period of rest or some diversion from what they’re doing once in a while. Even soldiers need a break from the war.
The only problem is when we get too many breaks to the point that it hurts productivity. This is where pro-active management comes in. While reactive management will try to keep blocking services to guide its employees, pro-active management will educate its employees on the proper use of the internet at work. Like the hallway printer isn’t meant for printing your favorite song lyrics, the internet is also a tool that can be helpful if properly managed. If college students didn’t learn that playing TextTwist during class was bad, it is management’s right and obligation to teach them once they get into the workplace.
