Are the iPhone and iPad letting employees sneak a peek at porn while on the job? Recently, Harris interactive was commissioned by video surveillance company Qumu to survey 2,500 employees and ask them, "what do you search on your mobile device at work that you cannot do, or are afraid to do, from your work computer?" These are some of their top responses:
- Look for another primary job
- Watch pornography
- Visit an online dating website
- Research an STD
Harris also asked how employees sneaked a peek at their mobile devices while at work, and the most popular answers were:
- Hiding their mobile device under the table
- Excusing themselves to go to the restroom
- Hiding their mobile device in their folders/notebooks/papers
- Pretending to tie their shoes
- Creating a distraction
While the results seem amusing, this is part of a growing trend affecting the workplace. A majority of Americans believe they should bring their own mobile devices to work to watch videos. This fits in the larger trend of a majority of Americans using more than one computing devices weekly, with 15% using 4 or more devices a week!
Obviously, Qumu's intent is to generate interest in their video solution, but it's not hard to imagine that democratized, popularized, ubiquitous internet connectivity will provide as many challenges for business as it does opportunities for individuals. Be that quickly scanning email at home, or the nudie-pic-of-the-day at work.
[Qumu]
Reader comments
iPad, iPhone enabling employees to surf porn at work?
I was working as a sys admin when I got my first gen 1 iPod. I was in that same job when the iPod suddenly had video playback capability. The moment that happened, HR and managers appointed department snitches who would casually walk around looking for videos being played back. It's company time and you owe it to your employer to work, not watch videos.
Like I would take work advice from a guy named Michael Scott.
:-p
The reason a lot of companies don't like these things is because it uses corporate resources and/or can cause security breaches. Any I've been to don't care if you use a personal device on a personal data connection as long as your work continues to get done.
Dammit those idiots should be fired. They're not getting paid for watching porn.
I stream music and access sites that are none work related. Every keystroke is there business.
I hope writing your grammar skills aren't THERE business. Not that this post is NONE work related.
I use my iPhone and iPad more as tools for work while I'm at work. Pictures of something explains things better than I can in email. I have two 'folders' of apps labeled WORK. Now on second thought, they should be compsnsating my iPhone use!!
I work for a company that has blocked streaming audio and video, and told employees to just use their smartphones for that purpose instead.
I call bullshit on this whole survey. The NUMBER TWO THING is looking at porn? Who on earth did these people talk to? Workers in the porn industry? The number 4 response is "research an STD"? What?!
Not buying this at all.
Lesson learned, corporate people have yuck junk
If you are streaming porn at work, you have a problem. I can see listening to music or the NCAA tournament, but no way someone is watching porn unless he/she is working in a porn store.
The mere fact 'play a game' isn't on that list proves that this survey is either a farce, or guilty of using a questionable controlled pool of participants.
Just peek at AppStore numbers to get a good idea of what the masses are doing.
Surveys and polls are how public consciousness is shaped. Never believe one unless you were a part of it.
uhh the question was "what do you search on your mobile device..." as in, what do you type into a search engine. So I don't think playing Angry Birds counts.
The problem with surveys is that when they are reported on, people jump to their own conclusions instead of trying to understanding the results.
Why the Amazon picture? The "sneaky cat" one was different, and far more appropriate.
I agree with the person who questioned this whole survey. BS on all of it.
If you cannot hold off checking your Facebook until you get home, then maybe you've got a problem.
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