A recent study at the University of Melbourne entitled "Freedom to surf: workers more productive if allowed to use the internet for leisure" concluded that workers who use social media or are less restricted to the use of the web during work time are more productive. The reason for the increased productivity comes from a combination of factors: 1. Work breaks are important to speed and efficiency and other common (unauthorized) work breaks may be more disruptive to work habits 2. increased comfort and technical understanding of the web 3. unrestricted web users tend to be more resourceful and prepared for their normal work tasks.
"People who do surf the internet for fun at work - within a reasonable limit of less than 20% of their total time in the office - are more productive by about 9% than those who don’t." Dr. Brent Coker