Imagine this:

I’m at work, and every 15 minutes, I pull out my favorite magazine and flip through it for a couple of minutes.

Or I bring in a TV, turn it on every five minutes to check the golf or match scores.

Or I stop working to chat with the person next to me—every five minutes, openly and blatantly.

How long do you think I’d last before someone said something?

And yet, this is exactly what happens all day, every day. Maybe even right now, as you’re reading this.

So, is it fair for IT departments to block access to social media, sports, and games on company networks?

When I was managing huge corporate networks 20 years ago, we did it without question. But back then, people weren’t glued to their phones.

Now? It feels like checking your phone is as natural—perhaps even as essential—as breathing.

Has the workplace changed, or have our expectations shifted?