- eMarketer Staff

NEW YORK Since 2000, the Internet has been credited with boosting work performance and productivity, according to annual surveys by the USC Annenberg School Center for the Digital Future.

Some 57 percent of respondents said the Internet had improved their productivity "a lot" or "somewhat" in 2000. That opinion was shared by 71 percent of respondents in 2007.

Still, an almost-consistent 5 percent of respondents each year argued that the Internet had worsened their job performance "a lot" or "somewhat."
 
The Internet affords the means for instant communication, the flexibility to work from remote locations and still be a contributing member of a team, and myriad avenues of entertainment and diversion. However, the advantages also carry disadvantages, for employers and employees alike.