Despite indisputable benefits, the home (or anywhere) office fills calendars with countless meetings. Did you know that, in excess, remote calls can lead to mental exhaustion – or Zoom Fatigue?
It’s no news that the COVID-19 pandemic caused significant changes in the work dynamics, accelerating the adoption of home office by countless companies around the world. Now, after three years of validating the countless benefits of working from home, discussions began to emerge about the not so positive side – such as too many online meetings. The popular video-calls became the object of studies by researchers, who reached the following conclusion: too much time spent videoconferencing can lead to mental exhaustion. This weariness even gained a name – Zoom Fatigue, in reference to one of the main video-conference apps.
But what about them, exactly, causes this exhaustion? In an article published in the journal Technology, Mind, and Behavior, the researcher Jeremy N. Baileson writes about the main causes of Zoom Fatigue. In this post you will find out what they are. Keep reading.
Zoom Fatigue and eye gaze at close distance
Virtual meetings meant that more intimate interactions, which one would normally have with their family and friends – such as long periods of eye contact or faces seen up close – to be extended to coworkers, classmates or strangers. In a video-conference, instead of spread across a room, every participant is face to face, which can generate hyper-excitement.
Cognitive load
Non-verbal communications happen naturally in an in-person interaction. Whereas in a virtual world, users are conscious of that communication, considering that it is through small gestures – such as nodding repeatedly – that they demonstrate their attention. This generates a hyper-awareness, that is, an excessive observation that causes the brain to become extremely tired.
An all-day mirror
Imagine spending your day in an office, working in front of a mirror. It sounds odd, but it is what happens in online meetings. Observing yourself for long periods of time is stressful and can affect mental health, as it leads to excessive self-evaluation and self-criticism, and it can trigger low self-esteem, lack of spontaneity, judgment, pressure, insecurity and it can even cause depression.
Reduced mobility
Cameras have a field of view, and it is within this space that video-conference participants must remain. This leads to reduced mobility. Staying in the same position for too long increases fatigue and can lead to overweight and a sedentary lifestyle. In face-to-face situations, people get up, stretch, scribble, make gestures etc. All these movements improve the performance of professionals during meetings.
Now that you know the main causes of Zoom Fatigue, how about finding out your level of tiredness from video-conferences? Bailenson, accompanied by other Stanford researchers, created the ZEF – Zoom Exhaustion & Fatigue Scale –, which, aside from measuring stress levels, stimulates the adaptation of new practices during online meetings. At Datum, we are adopting new habits to make the videoconferencing routine less stressful. Do you want to know what they are? Click to see.
