The GOP is complaining very loudly about recent reports that staff at the SEC were viewing pornographic material on their work computers over the last few years, that is, during the financial crisis. My initial thought, I cannot understand outrage over people checking out porn on their work computers, unless they are wasting a great deal of time. What we should be pushing for is private masturbating facilities at the SEC.
Anyone saying that it is atrocious behavior to be looking at porn when you should be watching the market, or anyone talking about wasting the taxpayer’s dime, is just pandering to some general taboo over pornography. But they are right about one thing. Internet porn takes too long and can be too distracting. Everyone needs a little diversion at the work place. As far as I know, most people agree that taking regular breaks through movement or mental change is good for your overall focus during the day. The trouble here is how much time some people were spending hunting down images.
There was one guy who apparently spent something like eight hours a day doing it and I think it would be fair to assess him as having a problem.
Porn is a lot like potato chips You’re hungry, but you’re just having one little chip at a time. Next thing you know you’ve gone through two bags and it’s three hours past lunchtime. We’ve all done this. To anyone who doesn’t understand looking at porn, just think now to a time when you’ve said, “Oh my goodness, it’s 3:30 and I still haven’t had lunch. Of Course I’m hungry!” That’s internet porn right there. It’s a creeping of hunger and two hours of snacking. Next thing you know, you’ve wasted hours of your day.
The answer is having an efficient, private, friendly way for these people to get off and get back to work. People are right to be upset that these (or any folks) are wasting hours on porn. But it shouldn’t be because it’s porn, it should be because it’s wasteful. And porn is such an easy one to fix because unlike facebooking or fashion blogs, the desire for porn goes away if you can just get your fill and be done with it. I suggest private bathrooms, a clean place but with a softer touch. People could have lockers in them with materials. And it wouldn’t matter what they were doing there because they’re just bathrooms. Nobody is getting harrased because we are all adults and we can all accept that everyone masturbates. Finally, we’re getting back to work, well rested and distraction free.
(Meanwhile, it took me three hours to write these few, meager sentences, because of internet porn. Next time, I hope I’ll be adult enough to just get it over with before I start writing. Who’s with me? Metaphorically speaking.)
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Totally behind this idea. Unfortunately I don’t know if we’d ever be grown up enough as a country (with puritanical and repressive ideas about sex and the body) to support it.
It only takes one. Wait, does that logic apply here? I’ll stand by it.