If you’re annoyed by work-related calls, you might just be bored with your face — at least that’s what researchers say in a new article published in the scientific journal PLOS One.
The phenomenon known as «Zoom fatigue» (named after the popular program) refers to video conference fatigue, which causes a decrease in productivity in the workplace and well-being in life. This phenomenon has gained popularity in recent years as video technology has evolved and forms of remote or hybrid work and, according to scientists, its influence is only exacerbated by our dissatisfaction with our appearance.
The researchers proved this statement by conducting a small experiment with 2,400+ Americans — professional, technical, and scientific workers who worked remotely at least part of the time and regularly attended virtual work meetings.
It turned out that a large proportion of people demonstrated «dissatisfaction with their appearance», which encouraged them to use impression management (or, more simply, filters or retouching) during video meetings. These same employees showed higher levels of «Zoom fatigue» and found virtual meetings less useful.
«Our study highlights that facial dissatisfaction contributes to Zoom fatigue, leading to a decrease in the desire to use virtual meeting technologies,» says lead author Cheyun Lim of Michigan State University.
In fact, this is not the first study to examine the negative consequences for people caused by video meetings. In 2023, Australian scientists analyzed the effect of «calls» on the brain and heart: 35 students who participated in 50-minute lectures via videoconference and in person had significantly higher levels of fatigue, drowsiness, and negativity after remote meetings than in face-to-face classes. In this case, the researchers recommended taking breaks.
«Individuals and organizations can adopt practices such as scheduling regular breaks,» said René Riedl of the Graz University of Technology, co-author of the Austrian study. «Based on the results of our study, we recommend taking a break every 30 minutes, as we found that after 50 minutes of videoconferencing, significant changes in physiological and subjective fatigue can be observed».
In addition, the researchers recommended turning off the camera from time to time to reduce continuous eye contact.
Source: Phys.org, Fast Company
Spelling error report
The following text will be sent to our editors: