TAIPEI – Office workers spend an average of 1.3 hours a day playing Pokemon Go, according to survey results released by 1111 Job Bank.
Noticed a decline in your company’s productivity? This might explain why.
Office workers spend an average of 1.3 hours a day playing Pokemon Go, according to survey results released Thursday by 1111 Job Bank.
The survey found that most players were aged 21-25 (27.08 per cent), followed by those aged 26-30 (18.95 per cent).
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Employees in the information technology sector had the highest percentage of Pokemon catchers, with 22.78 per cent of IT workers playing the augmented reality game, while the business service industry had the second highest rate at 13.91 per cent.
The positive effect of playing Pokemon Go most commonly cited by the survey respondents was socialization (52.71 per cent) followed by deepening friendships or other relationships (30.43 per cent) and going outside more often (18.14 per cent).
They also identified negative effects, the most widely cited of which were physical ailments such as neck and shoulder stiffness (10.57 per cent) as well as eyesight damage (10 per cent).
When asked why they choose to play Pokemon Go, the most common reason given was “to relive my childhood memories of playing Pokemon.”
Reuters, AFP
Diversion or distraction?
1111 Job Bank associate general manager Henry Ho said most employees enjoyed playing such games that were entertaining, inexpensive and a convenient way to help relieve workplace stress.
However, Ho cautioned office workers to indulge in moderation, warning that the activity could easily go from occasional diversion to serious distraction.
“Even though most employees do not tend to play the game during office hours, according to the survey, at least 33 per cent do so,” Ho said.
He added that the line between personal and office work had become blurred because of the omnipresence of technology in both arenas, and as such it was difficult for companies to restrict their employees from sneaking in breaks to catch some Charmander.
Read also: Top 5 excuses employees can give to play Pokemon Go at work, and get away with it
Sixty-six per cent of the respondents said they tended to play the game only near their home, whereas 37.86 per cent said they played at any chance they got.
Moreover, 33 per cent of the respondents said they were willing to spend money — on average NT$762 (S$32.52) — on the game, such as by planning outings dedicated to finding area-specific Pokemon or purchasing a power bank to keep their smartphones charged while catching ’em all.
The survey was conducted via email from August 8 to 17 and received 1,071 responses. It has a margin of error of 2.99 per cent.
