一项调查发现，目前每个工作日中14%的时间竟然被用于“上网闲逛”。在各国的办公室里，员工在上班时间查看社交媒体网站、网上购物、阅读新闻、浏览八卦等已很常见。人们为什么会养成“上网闲逛”的习惯呢？这个习惯怎么改？跟随本集《随身英语》了解造成人们“上网闲逛”背后的原因。

课文内容

Vocabulary: Procrastination 词汇: 延迟

Time to own up. When you’re sitting at your computer, do you work solidly all day? Or do you allow yourself to become distracted now and again… to open a few extra tabs, check social media, read a spot of news, browse the latest fashion trends, maybe catch up on some celebrity gossip, and look at some… 

Stop! You’re ‘cyberloafing’. The unwieldy word is a combination of ‘cyber’, which means ‘related to computers’, and ‘loafing’, which means ‘relaxing in a lazy way’. We do it, and we do it a lot. A study from the University of Texas suggests we are guilty of this form of procrastination for 14% of our working day. On a Friday afternoon, I expect it’s more than that.   

I’ll admit to indulging in the odd bout of cyberloafing myself. In fact I’ve already done it in the course of writing this story. OK, more than once. 

But it’s a slippery slope. It can damage your productivity and even your career. Because according to the Univeristy of Texas research, each time a worker gets sidetracked by the internet it takes an average of 23 minutes to get back to work.

More than that, cyberloafing has a dark side, according to a report published in The Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace. It argues that cyberloafing is connected to several negative personality traits. People who cyberloaf are more likely to be manipulative, self-interested and narcissistic. Furthermore, people with these traits are less likely to feel remorse about avoiding work, and less concerned about getting caught. 

Why do we do it? For some, it’s undoubtedly an escape from the drudgery of what they’re supposed to be doing. Or a way of avoiding tackling that ever growing in-tray. Some might get a feeling of satisfaction, get a buzz from finding a great deal online. But overall, it’s something that takes you away from what you’re actually being paid to do, or paying to do: if you’re a student. 

When you have the whole world of the internet at your fingertips, it’s hard to resist.

How do we nip it in the bud? If you can truly ask yourself why you are cyberloafing, then that can help identify the base problem. And if that sounds like too much hard work, you could just switch off the internet for a couple of hours! 

So in the meantime, let me just close those extra tabs…

词汇表

own up 承认，坦白（错误）
solidly 扎扎实实地，连续地
now and again 不时的
tab （浏览器）窗口
gossip 八卦，流言蜚语
unwieldy 笨拙的
indulge in 沉溺于
odd 偶尔的
bout（某活动的）一阵
slippery slope 滑坡效应，下坡路
productivity 生产率
get sidetracked 使分心，注意力被转移了
dark side 阴暗面，黑暗面
manipulative 有控制欲的，爱摆布（他人）的
self-interested 利己主义的，只为自己着想的
narcissistic 自我欣赏的
get a buzz 让人感到异常兴奋
at your fingertips 近在手边
to nip (something) in the bud 防患于未然

测验与练习 

1. 阅读课文并回答问题。

1. Is cyberloafing a widespread problem? 

2. What does the author say is the best way to stop cyberloafing?    

3. Why can you say cyberloafing has a ‘dark side’?    

4. Which word means ‘continuous boredom’?    

5. True or false: The author has sympathy for cyberloafers.    

2. 请你在不参考课文的情况下完成下列练习。选择一个意思合适的单词填入句子的空格处 。

1. Don’t spend too much on your credit card. It’s a ______. You get into serious financial trouble.

dark side       buzz       sidetrack       slippery slope

2. Stop looking at yourself in the mirror. You really are ______.

manipulative       unwieldy       narcissistic       sidetracked

3. I’ll admit I do like the ______ muffin now and again. Even though I’m putting on weight.

odd       unusual       strange       slippery

4. With a ______, you have the world at your fingertips. It can do so many things.

frying pan       smartphone       pair of gloves       toothbrush

5. I’ve been working solidly all morning. I need ______.

a break       a buzz       to speed up       to focus

答案  

1. 阅读课文并回答问题。

1. Is cyberloafing a widespread problem? 
According to one study, almost 14% of our working day is spent cyberloafing. So in terms of productivity, it’s a huge problem.

2. What does the author say is the best way to stop cyberloafing?
The best way is to ask yourself why you are cyberloafing and try to identify the base problem.

3. Why can you say cyberloafing has a ‘dark side’?
One study linked cyberloafing with negative personality traits, including being manipulative, narcissistic and self-interested.    

4.Which word means ‘continuous boredom’?
Drudgery.

5. True or false: The author has sympathy for cyberloafers.
The author admits to cyberloafing and also uses language like “hard to resist”, so it appears he has sympathy for this behaviour.

2. 请你在不参考课文的情况下完成下列练习。选择一个意思合适的单词填入句子的空格处 。

1. Don’t spend too much on your credit card. It’s a slippery slope. You get into serious financial trouble.

2. Stop looking at yourself in the mirror. You really are narcissistic.

3. I’ll admit I do like the odd muffin now and again. Even though I’m putting on weight.

4. With a smartphone, you have the world at your fingertips. It can do so many things.

5. I’ve been working solidly all morning. I need a break.