Science says yes.
Using two monitors is not a fad. The benefits are real and measurable. What was anecdotal evidence and assumption is supported by scientific research too. Behavioral research studies have found the reduced time required to complete tasks and significant productivity increases.
Jon Peddie, an influential analyst and an industry pioneer in the field of graphics, has done the numbers, and they show a productivity increase of over 40 percent: "We found that users with multiple monitors have an average productivity increase of 42 percent," Peddie explained.
Other experts have validated these assumptions: researchers from the Software Usability Research Laboratory at Wichita State University found 91 percent of users preferred dual monitors to a single monitor during a study completed in 2011. Computers with one and two monitors were used to observe participants performing business tasks. People with two displays completed their tasks 18 percent faster. Many even said a pair of smaller screens would be preferable to a single big screen.