There goes $15,000,000 - but it sure was fun!

Who hasn't enjoyed a custom Google homepage? Whether it is a witty or thought provoking link to a Wikipedia page, a Pac Man replica or an incredibly fun and pointless interactive image like today, the temptation to stick around and play is overwhelming. But, with around 70% of the search market, the loss of productivity on a nationwide scale can be mind boggling. Use this interactive app to see how much YOU think has been sheared off of US GDP today.

Conservatively, if about 50% of Americans use computers at work, each worker searches twice, spends five seconds playing per search and is paid an average of $10 per hour, that is still around $2,000,000 nationwide. Yikes! That's an expensive app. Admittedly, no one will ever notice a change of such a small magnitude compared to the economy as a whole, but it is an interesting thought.