USA Today published an interesting article today about the impact of the internet and social networking. Here are a few of the statistics they shared:

How social-networking services affect the everyday behavior of millions of Americans:

• An Ohio State University study links Facebook to lower grades. According to a survey of 219 students, published in April, those who said they use Facebook had grade-point averages of 3.0 to 3.5, and studied one to five hours a week.
• Non-Facebook users had GPAs of 3.5 to 4.0 and studied 11 hours or more a week.
• Nearly 80% of Facebook users said they believe it had no impact on their grades.
• Corporate employees may fritter away nearly 1.5% of office productivity by using Facebook at work, according to a Nucleus Research study announced in July.
• The University of Melbourne, however, says people who use the Internet for personal reasons at work are 9% more productive than those who don’t.
• Fourteen states have passed measures to ban texting while driving.

Read the full article here: Real-time Web keeps social networkers connected – USATODAY.com.