Restricting internet use at work could lead to an exodus of young staff, says a new survey.

Solutions provider Telindus found that Britain’s next generation of managers are web addicts, with nearly 80% of 18 to 24-year-olds logging on to social networking sites throughout the working day.

The majority of the younger generation of office staff download music at work (63%), and 58% watch online videos during office hours.

A significant proportion of younger workers (39%) say they would consider leaving an organisation if their internet access was curtailed.

However, only 16% of 25 to 65-year-olds would have the same reaction.

Mark Hutchinson, managing director of Telindus, advised organisations to exercise caution when deciding to change staff internet access.

“An outright ban on personal internet usage is clearly not the right approach to tackle a sluggish corporate network.

"However, the challenge is to achieve the right balance between allowing employees personal internet time without jeopardising the bandwidth required for business applications,” Mr Hutchinson said.