Sites To Avoid Browsing While on the Clock:

(Clutch Magazine: The Digital Magazine for the Young, Contemporary Woman of Color)

By Sky Obercam

Most of us who work 8-hour days experience that inevitable down time that requires some creative loafing. Sure, you could always pick up the phone and call a friend, read a book, or paint your nails, but typically, the idea is to not look like you are enjoying those stolen moments of free time. Enter – the internet. Given that many of us work in close proximity to a computer with an almost infinite virtual reach, it’s almost impossible to avoid the temptation of surfing the web in your idle time.

With unlimited information at your fingertips, one can (and sometimes to their demise, does) spend hours browsing the Internet. For this reason, many companies have installed software to prevent such entertaining activities from going down. But for those of you lucky enough to thrive in a work environment free from online restrictions, the key is not to get caught abusing your liberties. To aid you in this effort, dig this list that outlines the type of sites you don’t want to get caught browsing while on the clock:

Graphic Sexual Content or Porno:

This usually isn’t too much an issue for the ladies, but, ogling a site with half naked men, or shopping for sex toys is an activity best saved for the confines of your own home. Shopping: Your employer is most likely not thrilled that they pay you as much (or as little) as they do, so please don’t throw salt in the wound by showing them that you actually make enough money to shop for nice clothes, shoes and accessories.

Youtube:

Who doesn’t love Youtube? It’s got to one of the most entertaining sites out there right now. You can watch old episodes of your favorite shows, listen to music, watch bloopers of newscasters lose their composure on live TV – Youtube has it all. This is precisely why it may not be the best site to frequent while at work. It can be very time consuming…

Gossip blog/Celebrity News Sites:

The ultimate guilty pleasure for some, gossip and celebrity news sites are ideal time wasters for the working man or woman. So if staying up to date with the beautiful and the talentless is difficult to resist, make sure you minimize your browser when the higher-ups draw near.

Facebook:

Nothing says “I am bored out of my ever loving mind – please give me more work to do” like an employee puttering around on Facebook during the workday. Sadly, some employers tend not to want to encourage their staff to derive comfort by means of reaching out to family and friends while on the job. Simply put: Proceed with caution.

Job Search sites:

This is sort of self explanatory, wouldn’t you say? If your boss catches you looking for a new job, you may find yourself without one before you’ve even received your first response from your not so covert job hunt.

Interactive Game Sites: Not only are these things addictive, they are a sure fire way to ruin it for your fellow employees because if your manager catches you playing hours of War Craft or Mafia Wars, you can bet the internet restrictions will be enforced post haste.