Two out of three British Internet users admit to an occasional wilfing (surfing aimlessly on the Web), while a quarter spend more than 30 percent of their time (equivalent to two full working days every month) on the Internet surfing without any purpose, a survey claims.

The survey, sponsored by moneysupermarket.com, a price-comparison Web site, found that shopping sites are the biggest cause of wilfing, second is the news, followed by music, entertainment and travel websites in joint third place.

Among the study’s more interesting findings are that younger web surfers are the most easily distracted and were three times more likely to surf other websites than those older than 55 years-old.

The research also revealed men was more likely to be Wilfers than women, and that the emerging phenomenon can also harm relationships. In fact a third of males quizzed in the nationwide study even admit wilfing has had a damaging effect on their relationship with their partner. About 20% of men also confessed to being “distracted” from work or study by adult entertainment websites.

Cary Cooper, professor of psychology and health at Lancaster University, said that wilfing could become addictive. “It can become addictive because it is interactive, fascinating and absorbing. It is not a passive activity like watching television, which feeds us, but an active one we are engaged in. It can give a sense of control to aspects of people’s lives, where there may not be the same sense of control there once was.”

Cooper also illustrated the motivation behind wilfing.

“If people Wilf at work, it could be they are bored with their job or that they work in a culture of such long hours that it is not the done thing to be seen to be leaving the office at 5pm. “At home, it can be a way of procrastinating, or of not wanting to - or being unable to - engage with the family,” he said.

Jason Lloyd, head of broadband at Moneysupermarket.com, said “The internet was designed to make it easier for people to access the information they need quickly and conveniently. However, our study shows that although people log on with a purpose, they are now being offered so much choice and online distraction that many forget what they are there for, and spend hours aimlessly wilfing instead.”

Pete Cohen, national TV motivator and life coach, told the BBC, “Not allowing ourselves to ‘Wilf’ takes a mixture of planning and willpower - these days there are all manner of websites gunning for our attention.”

To combat the tendency to wilf, Cohen said, “Set yourself a specific surfing goal and time limit to keep on track. Set pop-up blockers on your PC to save you being distracted. And when you’re buying things online, think about using online services that will trawl the net for you and allow you to get off the computer and on with your life.”

The research was conducted by YouGov and questioned 2,412 adults.

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Entry was posted on Tuesday, April 10th, 2007 at 10:16 pm under Internet, Technology.  Print This Post

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