The number one killer of workplace productivity has to be the Internet. It is a bastion of endlessly funny and often-times intriguing distractions that make doing actual work unattractive. The Internet was designed for practical purposes too but who cares about that? You know watching that Youtube video is way more fun than adjusting that spreadsheet. From humor sites, Monkey Pickles and random facts to Facebook games, there is something out there to distract you from doing real work.
Humor Sites
Will Ferrell, the well-known comedian and actor, helped start the Internet humor site Funny or Die. Have you ever seen a goodhearted bat fight? It’s awesome, “it’s a game of honor and diplomacy.” Ferrell gets all of his Hollywood buddies together to perform short, funny skits and slapstick gags. Videos often go viral and are spread through offices with efficiency and effectiveness. Managers take part in propagating these videos thereby driving operational efficiencies and setting a good example for their subordinates. For those that find humor in extreme videos, games and fail compilations, there is also eBaum’s World.
Monkey Pickles
Monkey Pickles just sounds fun. It actually means green or yellow bananas. This agency delivers fun on a level that rivals the lethality of squirrel ninjas riding unicycles. The site features random thoughts, golden bananas, hamster balls and how to humor. Kids, interns, employees and corporate executives can all appreciate the comical style of the site’s content. It is paradise for those looking for excuses to waste time at work. It is hard to capture the site in words. You can describe it as a mix of: beach balls, Where’s Wally, squash, rainbows, pickled bananas, clay pots and pasta. Not sure if that makes sense?
Random Facts
The Internet is full of random facts and a lot of blah blah. These facts can be entertaining especially when it comes to celebrities or items bordering on the risqué. Like it or not, there are more Kim Kardashian facts on the Internet than there should be. Lindsay Lohan is out there in force too. Whether sorting through top 10 lists on things that smell or top 3 lists on training unicorns, you can find bizarre facts that intrigue. Figuratively speaking, the Internet is a fruit bowl of meme, monkeys, finger paint and best of lists. Perhaps the best part of random facts is that they are zero calories unlike other office distractions.
You can also find random facts on car keys, Christmas, cardboard, sandwiches, staplers and tech among many other things. Why not surf the Internet for a furry adventure, fire eater or bite size salty tart. Let management give themselves high fives. You can be reading a short story full of randomness. Forget company workshops, go go power and other corporate nonsense. Spoon me up some bizarre facts.
Facebook Games
Many companies try to block social media sites like Facebook, Tumbler and Twitter – unsuccessfully. Where there is a will there is a way. When your boss is behaving foolishly Facebook games via mobile devices are a saving grace. So when you are thinking “I am bored”, you know what to do. Develop a strategy and sneak off to the break room and play games on your phone. Sending messages via Facebook is way more entertaining than sending an announcement via email. Instagram is more than just the random thought of the month.
There are lots of ways to waste time at work. You can go above and beyond, or you can log on to the Internet and play around on humor sites, Monkey Pickles and Facebook. The choice is ultimately yours, but the smart move is goofing around on the Internet.