Study: We’re Not All That Productive Online

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AFP

Be honest — do you have Facebook open in another window? Chances are, you do.

The average American spends one-fourth of their time online perusing a social network or a blog, according to Nielsen research published in USA Today.

Surprisingly, the study found that twice as many Americans over 50 used a social network than children under 18. This is probably due to the fact that older users tend to be newer to social networks like Facebook. These new members also tend to be racially and socioeconomically diverse.

If you’re not on a social network, according to Nielsen, you’re probably playing a game. People spend 10 percent of their online time playing games, which is more time than people use to check e-mail. And if you’re like most Americans, you’re probably tending to your crops on FarmVille.

No matter how much the Internet can help you be productive, you’re probably not getting too much work done — the top three activities online are social networking, playing games and e-mailing.