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Dec 3, 2008 10:42 pm US/Central
Good Question: Why Do People Surf Porn At Work?
(WCCO)
Do you ever wonder what your coworkers are looking at on their computer screens? One in four of them are looking at pornographic websites, while on the clock, according to new research. So why do people think they can get away with it?
"Generally, they can get away with it," said Kate Harri, psychologist and Vice-President of BMI, a Minneapolis company that handles workplace issues.
Nielsen Online reported 25 percent of Americans visited a porn site while at work in October 2008. That compares to 23 percent in October 2007.
"The service defines adult sites as: 'Sites that contain information, products, and/or services specifically targeting adults such as pornographic pictures and movies, explicit writing, and/or adult web hosting services,'" according to Michelle McGiboney, Public Relations Specialist with Nielsen.
"I don't know what they're thinking," said John Risdall, Chairman and CEO of Risdall Advertising Agency in New Brighton.
Risdall said he has about 80 employees with more than 100 computer screens in his office. He can track web use, but doesn't, unless he has specific reason to.
Visiting pornographic websites is against company policy and could result in termination.
"It's just inappropriate behavior," said Risdall.
"I don't think they think it's OK," said Harri. "They do know it's not OK. What they don't connect is that they could get fired for it."
According to Harri, there's been a shift in attitudes towards pornography not only in society but also in the workplace. For example, mainstream news sites, including WCCO.com, put
pictures of women in lingerie on them. Escalating to pornography isn't that huge of a jump.
"It's that blurring of the lines and of the boundaries now. What's appropriate and what isn't," said Harri.
Newsweek Magazine first reported on the new report from Nielsen Online. "People are looking for an escape," said Steve Hirsch, CEO of Vivid Entertainment Group, an adult online-video provider, in an interview with Newsweek.
"You'd think with the economy they way it is right now, people would be more concerned about their jobs and not doing it," said Dianna Schmidt, a Minneapolis Advertising Account Executive.
But according to Harri, most people have a greater fear of being discovered looking at pornography in their own homes.
"We've got less people, but we also have people doing more work while there's less people. So of course if you're more strapped and a manager's more strapped, they're not going to be paying attention to those details," said Harri.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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