fauxductivity
n. Pretending to work hard; busyness that consists of trivial or unproductive activities.
Also Seen As
faux-ductivity
Other Forms
fauxductive adj.
Etymology
faux + productivity
Examples
2011
I am very familiar with that tactic, but I have another one that’s even worse. Fake productivity, or "fauxductivity" as I like to think of it, is where you surround yourself with accoutrements of productivity and busyness so not only does it look like you are busy and important but you are hoping to trick your brain into acknowledging the need to get work done and then spend extra time doing it.
—Minerva Cheevy, “Fauxductivity,” The Chronicle of Higher Education, October 04, 2011
2008
I wrote "fauxductive" on my hand. Then I photocopied my hand.

It was extremely fauxductive.

Oh, and then I took a picture of my hand with the photocopy. This was before the photocopy and I did a fauxductivity high five.
—Andrew Jaico, “Fauxductivity: a short example,” The Honeycomb Collective, August 20, 2008
2008 (earliest)
fauxductivity

Pretending to be productive at work.
—Glassman, “Fauxductivity,” Urban Dictionary, August 14, 2008
Posted: August 08, 2013