Employees addicted to online news.

• Author: Swartz, Nikki
• Position: Up front: news, trends & analysis - Brief Article

A recent survey found that employees visit online news sites more frequently than gambling, pornography, and shopping sites--and most consider news some of the most addicting content available on the Internet.

The survey was conducted by Websense, a San Diego-based company that makes software to help companies monitor workers' surfing patterns and block them from visiting, or at least from spending too much time, on sites that distract them from their jobs. According to Websense, employees spend about 20 percent of their time surfing the Web. On average, those surveyed said they spent 8.3 hours a week on Internet sites that have no relation to their jobs, and most said they would rather give up coffee than the Internet.

Twenty-three percent of workers surveyed said they considered news the most...